What happened
On July 3, 2013, a Buckeye Dream Machine powered parachute was performing a takeoff in Fruitland, Washington, under visual meteorological conditions with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 170 degrees at 7 knots. During the takeoff roll, the pilot failed to maintain control of the aircraft. The UNREG aircraft veered off its intended course and collided with a recreational vehicle. The impact caused substantial damage to the airframe of the powered parachute. One occupant of the recreational vehicle sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
The pilot, who was not certificated, had purchased the unregistered aircraft approximately one week prior to the accident and had a total of 5.5 hours of flight time. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures occurring before the impact that would have prevented the normal operation of the aircraft.