# Incident 20030606012089I: Pepperell, MA, June 6, 2003

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 6, 2003, 12:42 local time
- Place: Pepperell, MA
- Phase of flight: Parachute Jumping
- Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
- Location: 42.6748° N, 71.5922° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Pepperell, MA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.6748&lon=-71.5922&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/20030606012089I

## Narrative

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

(-23) DATE: JUNE 6, 2003 PEPPERELL AIRPORT, PEPPERELL MA (26MA) 12:42 EDT ASI: DONALD E. SMALL/SHARON FELTON FSDO 01 FRIDAY 06/06/2003 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ONE FATAL WHEN A PARACHUTIST LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD ONE-QUARTER MILE FROM THE JUMP ZONE. NO ATC INVOLVEMENT. IT WAS DETERMINED BY FSDO (FELTON) THAT IT WAS A PARACHUTIST FAULT. EYEWITNESSES STATED THAT THEY SPOTTED TWO JUMPERS WITH CHUTES DEPLOYED. THEY STATED THEY WERE WATCHING THEM AND THEY BECAME CONCERNED AS THEY COULD TELL FROM THEIR LOCATION THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE DROP ZONE. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT SHE HAD PRIOR EXPERIENCE JUMPING AT THE PEPPERELL AIRPORT. SHE STATED THAT SHE COULD TELL FROM THE TWO JUMPER'S POSITIONS THAT THEY WERE OFF COURSE. SHE THEN SAW THAT THE VICTIM'S RATE OF DESCENT WAS MUCH TOO FAST. SHE STATED THAT HE HAD MADE A "HOOK TURN" AT THE LAST MOMENT, CAUSING HIM TO LOSE ALTITUDE VERY FAST. THERE WERE TELEPHONE POLES AND POWER LINES NEXT TO THE OPEN FIELD THAT THE TWO JUMPERS HAD LANDED IN. IT WAS ASSUMED BY SOME WITNESSES THAT THE VICTIM MIGHT HAVE TRIED TO AVOID THE POWER LINES AT THE LAST MOMENT CAUSING THE LAST MINUTE HOOK TURN. THE JUMPER DIED OF MULTIPLE                      INTERNAL INJURIES A SHORT TIME LATER AT ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL IN NASHUA NEW HAMPSHIRE.

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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