Buckeye Dream Machine accident near Fruitland, Washington, July 3, 2013
On July 3, 2013 at about 2:46 pm local time, a Buckeye Dream Machine (powered parachute), registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Fruitland, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The operation of a powered parachute by a non-certificated pilot, and the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a vehicle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2013 · about 2:46 pm local time
- Place
- Fruitland, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Buckeye Dream Machine · all Dream Machines on the register
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial UNKNOWN
- 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 purchased the unregistered powered parachute about a week before the accident and had accumulated 5.5 hours of flight time. During takeoff, the pilot did not maintain aircraft control. The powered parachute subsequently veered off course, and collided with a recreational vehicle resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. One occupant of the recreational vehicle sustained minor injuries. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the powered parachute that would have precluded normal operation.
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 takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Flight time: 95 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fruitland WA at 2:46 pm
- Destination: Fruitland WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KDEW
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
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 WPR13CA361.