Local Authorities Were Concerned About Airframe Parachute Launcher

An Alisport Silent 2 Elecrtro glider went down last Tuesday, impacting the roof of a home in Danbury, CT after losing power on final approach.

The News Times newspaper reports that the pilot, who has not been identified, took off from Danbury Municipal Airport sometime late Tuesday morning. He contacted the control tower at around 5:45, but his message was garbled, according to Assistant Airport Administrator Mike Safranek.

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said that the pilot, who survived the accident, said he thought he had about 20 minutes of power remaining when he was on final approach to the airport, but that apparently was not the case. The plane impacted the roof of the house and penetrated into the attic. Amanda Wirag Oliveira and her two young children were at home at the time of the accident.

The airplane is registered to Thomas Nejame, owner of Danbury-based swimming pool supply company Nejame & Sons, but it is not reported whether he was the pilot of the airplane at the time of the accident. The pilot was transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to the report.

Removal of the airplane was delayed while technicians disconnected the rocket motor for the airplane's airframe parachute system, which officials were concerned would activate during the removal process, causing a fire in the home.

The damage to the late-19th-century home was determined to not be structural, and Deputy Fire Chief Bernie Meehan said the family should be able to remain in the house.

(Image from YouTube video uploaded by the Associated Press)

FMI: Source report