Itec Inc MAVERICK N356MV accident near Dunnellon, Florida

Probable cause

A cell blowout in the fabric wing, which resulted in an asymmetrical loss of lift and a subsequent loss of aircraft control.

NTSB analysis

The aircraft, which was one of nine prototypes developed to support remote populations, included a kit-built dune buggy equipped with a roll cage and racing seats that could be used to drive to remote sites. The dune buggy was connected to a deployable, powered parachute that had a fabric wing with cells that filled with air to provide lift over obstacles such as jungle canopies. The aircraft was directionally controlled in the air by foot pedals and/or a fly-by-wire servo controlled through the dune buggy's steering wheel, which could be turned off if needed.

The pilot reported that the takeoff was "normal" and that he then climbed the aircraft to about 500 ft. While in level flight, the aircraft "all of sudden, and sharply" turned right with no pilot inputs. The pilot tried turning the aircraft left, but it continued to spiral right. He thought about turning off the fly-by-wire servo but realized that the servo wasn't the problem and wanted to keep using it to help rudder pedal inputs. As the aircraft passed through 180 degrees of turn, the pilot realized it was coming down over trees. He had completely lost aircraft control but found that adding power added lift to the left side of the parachute and that reducing power reduced the lift. At one point, the parachute was parallel with the dune buggy, which is consistent with a cell blowout. The pilot stated that he believed that, at some point, the cell pressurized briefly, which straightened the aircraft and allowed it to avoid the trees before hitting the ground. Once the aircraft hit the ground, the fuel tank ruptured, which resulted in a fire that consumed the parachute and precluded further failure mode documentation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA15LA044 for the full record.