Return to the incident list: Incident List Airbox Fell Off In Flight PPG Type: Foot Launch – Single Occupant Type of Injury: No Injury

Pilot Details

Age: 26 Weight: 180 Gender: Male Highest rating held at the time of the incident: None Pilot experience level: 50+ hours

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Ozone Model: Mojo PWR 1 Size: S Paramotor Frame: Parajet Maverick with Vittorazi Atom 80 MY19

Incident Details

October 3, 2020 9:15 AM Location of the incident: Romeo, Michigan Type of Incident: Engine Malfunction, Pilot Error

What happened: My airbox fell off in flight & caused damage to the helix propeller. When the prop hit the airbox, I heard a loud pop, the motor noise changed pitch, and I felt the entire motor torque. The airbox fell into an unpopulated, heavily wooded area. The motor was still running, the propeller did not cause any vibrations from the damage, the propeller still had normal thrust. I made the decision to kill the motor, land in an empty soccer field, & inspect the damage.

Why did this happen: This happened because the hose clamp was loose & the airbox was not tethered to the frame. This should have been caught during preflight or if I regularly checked the hose clamp. I did preflight the airbox before the flight & before every flight, but I was not doing an adequate job.

Flight Window: Morning Wind Speed: Light Wind (1-5 mph) Type: Steady / Laminar Phase of Flight: Cruise/In Flight Type of Injury: No Injury Collateral Damage: None Analysis of the incident (additional input by the incident investigation team): Photos (if available): https://usppa.org/frm_file/aWQ6MTEzNTh8ZmlsZW5hbWU6SU1HXzE5NjUuanBlZ3xzaXplOnRodW1ibmFpbA==, https://usppa.org/frm_file/aWQ6MTEzNTl8ZmlsZW5hbWU6NjI0MDcxNTY5MzBfXzg2ODlFMjJGLUI3RjEtNEFBQy04MjJELTRDNjU0NjEwODcxQS5qcGVnfHNpemU6dGh1bWJuYWls

Video (if available):
Other Files (if available):

Return to the incident list: Incident List