# Incident 19970511014379I: Perris Valley, CA, May 11, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 11, 1997, 11:10 local time
- Place: Perris Valley, CA
- Phase of flight: Parachute Jumping
- Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
- Aircraft: UNKNOWN (not matched to a registry record)
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970511014379I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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