 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Paraglider pilot reported engine performance issues prompted an unplanned landing that was aborted for another site; however; contact was made with a tree branch.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1494124 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201711 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Ultralight |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 103 |
| Flight Phase | Landing |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Engine |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Flying Single Pilot |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20 Flight Crew Total 40 Flight Crew Type 40 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT Inflight Event / Encounter Object |
Narrative:
While flying my powered paraglider (far part 103) I heard the engine sputter. I had a parking lot below me and initially turned to land there. As I assessed the situation unfolding; I determined there was limited space to land and since the engine was still working; I aborted the landing but was faced with trees to maneuver around. The right side of my powered paraglider wing just slightly clipped a tree branch - no damage occurred. I continued the climb and landed at an alternate site.I suspect the fuel I was using was several months old and may have been the reason for the engine sputter. I drained it and replaced it with fresh fuel. A subsequent flight for an hour didn't appear to have any issues.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Paraglider pilot reported engine performance issues prompted an unplanned landing that was aborted for another site; however; contact was made with a tree branch.
Narrative: While flying my powered paraglider (FAR Part 103) I heard the engine sputter. I had a parking lot below me and initially turned to land there. As I assessed the situation unfolding; I determined there was limited space to land and since the engine was still working; I aborted the landing but was faced with trees to maneuver around. The right side of my powered paraglider wing just slightly clipped a tree branch - no damage occurred. I continued the climb and landed at an alternate site.I suspect the fuel I was using was several months old and may have been the reason for the engine sputter. I drained it and replaced it with fresh fuel. A subsequent flight for an hour didn't appear to have any issues.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.