Six Chuter, Inc Skye Ryder Aerochute accident near Tooele, Utah, June 19, 2011
On June 19, 2011 at about 2:15 am local time, a Six Chuter, Inc Skye Ryder Aerochute (powered parachute), registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tooele, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The operation of a powered parachute by a non-certificated pilot. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to conduct a flight in a strong gusty wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2011 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Tooele, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Six Chuter, Inc Skye Ryder Aerochute
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial SR7XL-2593
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-certificated pilot, who had made only four previous flights in the powered parachute (PPC), advised the individual who had been giving him instruction in the PPC that he was going to conduct a solo flight. Because the wind in the area where the pilot was going to fly was strong and gusty, the individual who had been giving him instruction advised him not to attempt a flight until he came to the area to check out the wind conditions. When the individual who had been providing the instruction got to the area where he expected the pilot to be waiting, he found that the pilot had already attempted a flight, and that the PPC had crashed. A postaccident examination of the PPC did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal flight operations. Because the wind in the area was gusting to about 35 mph, which, according to the PPC’s manufacturer, was beyond the limits of what a pilot with this amount of experience could be expected to handle, it is likely that the pilot lost control of the PPC while in flight.
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
- Loss of control in flight during unknown defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during unknown
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › High wind › Ability to respond/compensate
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 4 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Iosepa Rec Area UT at 2:00 am
- Destination: Iosepa Rec Area UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 30 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.