Accident Details
On February 12, 2011, at 1753 mountain standard time, a Buckeye Breeze LX powered parachute, registration N75752, impacted terrain while on approach to landing at a wilderness campsite located 30 miles north of the Bullfrog Basin Airport in Bullfrog, Utah. The student pilot was operating the experimental category aircraft under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot sustained fatal injuries and the powered parachute was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed.
Witness Accounts
Witnesses at the campsite reported that the pilot flew over their location three times to monitor wind conditions. After the third pass, the pilot appeared to initiate a landing approach. The witnesses then heard the engine power increase, but observed the parachute descending steeply until they heard the sound of impact.
Video Evidence
Amateur video recorded by a witness at the landing area showed the parachute flying low over the area at an altitude of approximately 3 to 4 feet. As the parachute reached the end of the landing area near a canyon ledge, the engine sound increased in pitch. The parachute then pitched up abruptly, followed by a rapid descent and a 180-degree turn before dropping out of the video frame, descending below the canyon ledge. The wreckage was subsequently located below the canyon ledge on steeply sloped terrain.
Weather Conditions
At 1655, the nearest weather reporting station, located approximately 19 miles north of the campsite, reported calm wind, clear skies, visibility of 60 statute miles, temperature 9 degrees Celsius, and dew point -6 degrees Celsius. The home video from the accident site depicted clear skies with no evidence of any wind conditions.