C-IFBY Para-Ski VX accident

On August 19, 2026, about 1920 central daylight time, a Para-Ski VX powered parachute, C-IFBY, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Westport, South Dakota. The pilot sustained serious injuries, passenger 1 sustained fatal injuries, and passenger 2 sustained minor injuries. The powered parachute was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

A witness reported that they observed the accident aircraft depart from a field towards the west. The witness looked away for about one minute, and when the witness looked back the aircraft had already impacted terrain. The aircraft impacted terrain, collided with a barbed wire fence, and came to rest on its side with substantial damage to the fuselage.

Initial reports revealed that the pilot was seated in the front seat with passenger 1 seated in his lap and passenger 2 was seated in the rear seat as seen in figure 1.

Figure 1. Seat configuration The accident aircraft does not meet the requirements as outlined in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 103 to be considered an ultralight vehicle. The aircraft fuel capacity exceeded 5 gallons and is configured for operation for more than a single occupant. The pilot holds an FAA remote pilot certificate for small unmanned aircraft systems.

The powered parachute was retained for further examination.