20020718015989I

Incident

FAA incident report · Aircraft · Ellington, CT · July 18, 2002

Date: July 18, 2002 · 12:15 local
Place: Ellington, CT
Airport: Ellington Airport
Phase of flight: Parachute Jumping
Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
Aircraft: UNKNOWN
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) Mr. Raymond lavallee of manchester, CT, was seriously injured and later died, while trying to perform a high performance parachute hook maneuver upon landing at Ellington Airport in Ellington, CT. Eyewitness reported Mr. Lavellee had successfully exited the jump aircraft at 4300 feet AGL and that his chute functioned normally. Eyewitness also reported that Mr. Lavellee was trying to perform a hook maneuver for landing. While in a flare for landing Mr. Lavelle's ground speed was much faster than he could run, thus tripping and impacting the ground very hard. The hook maneuver places the parachutist close and fast to the ground while trying to cover as much ground as possible before touchdown.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MR. RAYMOND LAVALLEE OF MANCHESTER, CT, WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND LATER DIED, WHILE TRYING TO PERFORM A HIGH PERFORMANCE PARACHUTE HOOK MANEUVER UPON LANDING AT ELLINGTON AIRPORT IN ELLINGTON, CT. EYEWITNESS REPORTED MR. LAVELLEE HAD SUCCESSFULLY EXITED THE JUMP AIRCRAFT AT 4300 FEET AGL AND THAT HIS CHUTE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. EYEWITNESS ALSO REPORTED THAT MR. LAVELLEE WAS TRYING TO PERFORM A HOOK MANEUVER FOR LANDING. WHILE IN A FLARE FOR LANDING MR. LAVELLE'S GROUND SPEED WAS MUCH FASTER THAN HE COULD RUN, THUS TRIPPING AND IMPACTING THE GROUND VERY HARD. THE HOOK MANEUVER PLACES THE PARACHUTIST CLOSE AND FAST TO THE GROUND WHILE TRYING TO COVER AS MUCH GROUND AS POSSIBLE BEFORE TOUCHDOWN.