LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The NTSB is investigating a Sunday night crash in Nicholasville that killed a married couple. In a social media post, the agency claims the plane is a Buckeye Dream Machine.

The vehicle is a powered parachute and falls into the category of ultralight vehicles.

“It’s not a fixed-wing airplane,” Matt Bunch said. “There is a parachute above with a motorized motor attached to tricycle equipment.”

Bunch is a pilot and lawyer who flies his own experimental plane. As a member of the aviation community, he knows what it’s like to lose a friend when a plane crashes.

“I attended two funerals of friends who live here in Lexington and flew one of them in my experimental airplane,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking to go to a funeral because we participate and fly in a very unforgiving industry.”

Ultralight vehicles like the Buckeye Dream Machine are subject to fewer regulations than actual aircraft. Bunch explained that this was due to the light weight of this vehicle class.

“It’s a 254-pound curb weight with a maximum of 5 gallons of fuel,” Bunch said of the weight requirements. “As long as the plane takes off or lands at 28 miles per hour with a maximum speed of 66 miles per hour, FAA regulations are much less stringent.”

Due to their slower speeds and light weight, these types of vehicles are not designed for long-distance travel. Less regulation, however, does not mean that microlights are less safe.

“It simply means that the FAA has designated ultralights as exempt from government inspections, controls and regulations as long as they meet certain requirements,” Bunch said.

Even though the accident scene has been cleared, local pilots will not soon forget this tragedy.

“Our entire community aviation community sends our hearts, thoughts and prayers and love to the family who lost this couple,” Bunch said.