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19970629028599I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Aircraft · Pepperell, MA · June 29, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 29, 1997 · 19:45 local
Place
Pepperell, MA
Phase of flight
Parachute Jumping
Operating rules
Parachute jumping (Part 105)
Aircraft
NONE
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.

(-23)Jeffrey r. paulino suffered fatal injuries due to impact with the ground. According to numberous witness statements, jumpers exited the aircraft at 13,500', joined in a formation and broke away at approximately 4,500'. Jumpers paulino and latuch deployed their main parachutes at approximately 2,300'. Latuch's chute opened slowloy and while attempting to fully open the parachute, she became entangled in lines through the center cell of paulino's chute. Both jumpers cut-away their main chutes. Paulino's main chute became wrapped around latuch for a period time. Latuch was able to clear the wrapped chute and subsequently deployed her reserve parachute at 1300-1500'. Mr. Pauline continued freefall was stable, however, witness statements conflict as to weather or not an attempt was made to pull the "d" ring in order to deploy the reserve parachute. Subsequent examination of Mr. Paulino's parachute harness and reserve parachute by: inspector richard bunker, Massachusetts aeronautic commission; donald v. mayer, Pepperell airport manager and master parachute rigger; inspector dale c. crumb, FAA, bos FSDO-01 at the boston city hospital morgue revealed the following. The reser ve static line (rsl) was not used ot attached to the main chute. The red thread was taught and the safety seal was intact and in place. The "d" ring and cable were free and it's operation was uninhibited. Activation of the reserve chute "d" ring exhibitied normal deployment of the reserve chute. There were no obvious abnormal marks on clothing or harness.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)JEFFREY R. PAULINO SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES DUE TO IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO NUMBEROUS WITNESS STATEMENTS, JUMPERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AT 13,500', JOINED IN A FORMATION AND BROKE AWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 4,500'. JUMPERS PAULINO AND LATUCH DEPLOYED THEIR MAIN PARACHUTES AT APPROXIMATELY 2,300'. LATUCH'S CHUTE OPENED SLOWLOY AND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FULLY OPEN THE PARACHUTE, SHE BECAME ENTANGLED IN LINES THROUGH THE CENTER CELL OF PAULINO'S CHUTE. BOTH JUMPERS CUT-AWAY THEIR MAIN CHUTES. PAULINO'S MAIN CHUTE BECAME WRAPPED AROUND LATUCH FOR A PERIOD TIME. LATUCH WAS ABLE TO CLEAR THE WRAPPED CHUTE AND SUBSEQUENTLY DEPLOYED HER RESERVE PARACHUTE AT 1300-1500'. MR. PAULINE CONTINUED FREEFALL WAS STABLE, HOWEVER, WITNESS STATEMENTS CONFLICT AS TO WEATHER OR NOT AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO PULL THE "D" RING IN ORDER TO DEPLOY THE RESERVE PARACHUTE. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF MR. PAULINO'S PARACHUTE HARNESS AND RESERVE PARACHUTE BY: INSPECTOR RICHARD BUNKER, MASSACHUSETTS AERONAUTIC COMMISSION; DONALD V. MAYER, PEPPERELL AIRPORT MANAGER AND MASTER PARACHUTE RIGGER; INSPECTOR DALE C. CRUMB, FAA, BOS FSDO-01 AT THE BOSTON CITY HOSPITAL MORGUE REVEALED THE FOLLOWING. THE RESER VE STATIC LINE (RSL) WAS NOT USED OT ATTACHED TO THE MAIN CHUTE. THE RED THREAD WAS TAUGHT AND THE SAFETY SEAL WAS INTACT AND IN PLACE. THE "D" RING AND CABLE WERE FREE AND IT'S OPERATION WAS UNINHIBITED. ACTIVATION OF THE RESERVE CHUTE "D" RING EXHIBITIED NORMAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE RESERVE CHUTE. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS ABNORMAL MARKS ON CLOTHING OR HARNESS.