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19970511014379I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Aircraft · Perris Valley, CA · May 11, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
May 11, 1997 · 11:10 local
Place
Perris Valley, CA
Phase of flight
Parachute Jumping
Operating rules
Parachute jumping (Part 105)
Aircraft
UNKNOWN
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-5) This was a fatal parachute jump. Name of jumper: harley scott powell. Experience and training of jumper: Mr. Powell was a full time instructor with over 3,000 jumps. Club affiliation: n/a. description of parachute and their packing records: following the incident the equipment was inspected by safety and training advisor/master rigger anne helliwell. Mr. Helliwell made the following observations: a. the equipment was intact and attached to Mr. Powell's body. B. no attempt was made to deploy the main chute as the rip cord was still in its pouch. C. the reserve chute rip cord was intact. D. the automatic activation device had been intentionally disabled. E. the maintenance records indicated the equipment was inspected within the 120 day requirement (04/05/97). Perris Valley police report # per 97131026 indicates that Mr. Powell's death was a suicide. Witnesses stated that just prior to exiting the airplane Mr. Powell made reference to a note which was located in his van. The note was later retrieved by the Perris Valley police and found to clearly indicate Mr. Powell's intent to kill himself. No further action, closed.

As the FAA filed it

(-5) THIS WAS A FATAL PARACHUTE JUMP. NAME OF JUMPER: HARLEY SCOTT POWELL. EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING OF JUMPER: MR. POWELL WAS A FULL TIME INSTRUCTOR WITH OVER 3,000 JUMPS. CLUB AFFILIATION: N/A. DESCRIPTION OF PARACHUTE AND THEIR PACKING RECORDS: FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT THE EQUIPMENT WAS INSPECTED BY SAFETY AND TRAINING ADVISOR/MASTER RIGGER ANNE HELLIWELL. MR. HELLIWELL MADE THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS: A. THE EQUIPMENT WAS INTACT AND ATTACHED TO MR. POWELL'S BODY. B. NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DEPLOY THE MAIN CHUTE AS THE RIP CORD WAS STILL IN ITS POUCH. C. THE RESERVE CHUTE RIP CORD WAS INTACT. D. THE AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE HAD BEEN INTENTIONALLY DISABLED. E. THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATED THE EQUIPMENT WAS INSPECTED WITHIN THE 120 DAY REQUIREMENT (04/05/97). PERRIS VALLEY POLICE REPORT # PER 97131026 INDICATES THAT MR. POWELL'S DEATH WAS A SUICIDE. WITNESSES STATED THAT JUST PRIOR TO EXITING THE AIRPLANE MR. POWELL MADE REFERENCE TO A NOTE WHICH WAS LOCATED IN HIS VAN. THE NOTE WAS LATER RETRIEVED BY THE PERRIS VALLEY POLICE AND FOUND TO CLEARLY INDICATE MR. POWELL'S INTENT TO KILL HIMSELF. NO FURTHER ACTION, CLOSED.