Powrachute PC 2000 accident near Leadore, Idaho, October 25, 2009
On October 25, 2009 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Powrachute PC 2000 (powered parachute), registered N4036U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Leadore, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The stuck throttle cable and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during landing, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall and hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 2009 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Leadore, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Powrachute PC 2000 · all PC 2000s on the register
- Registration
- N4036U · no longer on the register · serial A045POW
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the powered parachute reported that while in cruise flight and after increasing engine power, he discovered that the throttle cables were stuck and inoperable. He then attempted to reduce power, but the power reduction was too slow so he elected to land in an open field.During the landing flare, about 10 to 15 feet above the ground, the airplane's chute stalled, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent substantial damage to the powered parachute. The pilot reported that there were no anomalies with the airframe or engine prior to or during the flight, and he could not determine how the throttle had become inoperative.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Malfunction
Pilot
- Flight time: 120 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Leadore ID
- Destination: Leadore ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from SMN, 45 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR10LA032.