# Incident 20020718015989I: Ellington, CT, July 18, 2002

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 18, 2002, 12:15 local time
- Place: Ellington, CT
- Airport: Ellington Airport
- Phase of flight: Parachute Jumping
- Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
- Location: 41.9254° N, 72.4571° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ELLINGTON (7B9), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.9254&lon=-72.4571&mi=10
- Aircraft: UNKNOWN (not matched to a registry record)
- Fatal injuries: 1
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020718015989I

## Narrative

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

(-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.

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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