History of Flight
On June 23, 2014, about 2100 central daylight time, an unregistered powered parachute with a two-seat trike airframe was substantially damaged after impacting the water surface on the Fox River near Ottawa, Illinois. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the passenger was fatally injured. The powered parachute was operated by a private individual. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The powered parachute had departed Skydive Chicago Airport (8N2), Ottawa, Illinois, about 2040 for a local flight.
The pilot reported that the passenger had been pushing to fly at a lower altitude and closer to the river and the spillway on the dam. While flying downstream through mist over the dam at an altitude of about 50 feet above ground level, the engine suddenly quit. Following the loss of engine power, the pilot was unable to reach the shoreline and impacted the turbulent flood waters just below the dam.
After hitting the water, the parachute canopy flew over and covered the top of the airframe, which then became submerged or partially submerged. The pilot estimated he had been underwater for about 15 seconds before he could unfasten his harness and free himself. The fast-flowing water current then carried the pilot downstream.
One person reported hearing the powered parachute in the area and that the engine sounded like it was "missing" and perhaps the carburetor was "choking out." There were no witnesses to the accident, and emergency personnel responded only after the pilot exited the river and walked to a nearby business to call 9-1-1.
The passenger did not exit the partially submerged wreckage and was removed the following morning by emergency personnel.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 33, held a current "advanced instructor" rating issued by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc. (USHPA). The rating was valid only for instruction in ultralight vehicles. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records showed that the pilot had never held an FAA pilot certificate or an FAA medical certificate.
The pilot said he had recently come to Skydive Chicago to make money by selling rides in the powered parachute, which was his only means of income. His personal logbooks were not available for examination during the investigation. The pilot had owned and flown the powered parachute for about the previous six months but did not report details about his pilot experience or previous flight training.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, single-engine powered parachute was a GRAZhopper Trike powered by an aft-mounted 25-horsepower Vittorazi Monster 185 two-stroke pusher engine. It was an amateur-built light sport aircraft with a tubular frame, two main landing gear wheels mounted just aft of the pilot's seat, and a steerable nose wheel mounted forward of the front passenger seat, operated by direct pedal inputs from the rear-seat pilot. The pilot's seat was in the rear, and the passenger's seat was in the front. Each seat was equipped with a 4-point seat belt and shoulder harness restraint system. The parachute canopy had risers connected to the top of the tubular frame between the two tandem seats. During flight, the canopy could be controlled by the pilot by pulling down on the risers.
FAA records indicated that the light sport powered parachute had never been issued an FAA airworthiness certificate or registration certificate. No aircraft maintenance records were located. The date of manufacture was reported by the pilot to be about 2013 or 2014. The name of the manufacturer could not be determined.
Meteorological Information
The closest official weather reporting station was KVYS, Peru, Illinois, located 17 miles west of the accident location. At 2035, the Automated Surface Observation System reported wind from 260 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken clouds at 6,000 feet, temperature 24°C, dew point 21°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.87 inches of mercury. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that sunset occurred at 2033, the end of evening civil twilight at 2107, and moonset at 1810.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Emergency responders found the partially submerged wreckage snagged on a pile of driftwood near the middle of the Fox River, about 200 feet downstream from the 600-foot-wide spillway of a hydroelectric dam. The trike frame was resting right side down with the left main landing gear sticking out of the water and the front wheel oriented downstream to the south. The yellow parachute canopy was wrapped around the engine cage and trike frame. Turbulent, fast-flowing water hampered recovery efforts, and the wreckage remained in place after emergency responders departed. Flood conditions in the river increased, and the wreckage was subsequently swept downstream. It was not recovered and was not further examined.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was performed on the passenger by a forensic pathologist as ordered by the LaSalle County Coroner's Office. Forensic toxicology was performed on specimens from the pilot by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. The toxicology report indicated that tests for carbon monoxide and cyanide were not performed; no ethanol was detected in blood; dihydrocodeine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone were detected. According to a police interview conducted about five hours after the crash, the pilot reported using several prescription medications on the day of the accident, including oxycodone (15 mg) that morning and afternoon; alprazolam one that morning and again that afternoon; diazepam one that morning and one at noon; and two hydrocodone that morning. The police interview also noted that the pilot's speech pattern was rambling and he would forget topics or not understand basic questions, as if he were "under the influence of something." Blood specimens collected from the pilot at 0347 on June 24 tested positive for alprazolam (40 ug/L), hydrocodone (70 ug/L), oxycodone (less than 10 ug/L), and diazepam (less than 250 ug/L). All these medications carry warnings about impairing mental and/or physical ability required for hazardous tasks, and their combination may enhance depressant effects. The investigation was unable to identify any information about the pilot's previous medical history.