What happened
On July 10, 2016, at 18:45 central daylight time, a Buckeye Dream Machine powered parachute, N3519T, was involved in an accident at Ohio County Airport (JQD) in Hartford, Kentucky. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight, and no flight plan had been filed. Weather conditions at the time were visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 270 degrees at 3 knots.
The student pilot was preparing for takeoff from a parking lot at the airport. During the takeoff roll, the pilot reported that the engine began to sputter, prompting a decision to abort the takeoff. While attempting to stop the aircraft, the pilot lost control and the aircraft collided with a chain link fence. The accident resulted in one serious injury and substantial damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
An inspection conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found that the left frame support tube had broken away from the main tube structure. A mechanic also performed a cursory examination and a test run of the engine; no anomalies were found during the test run that would have prevented normal operation.