# Incident 20040807022849I: Beech B90, Suffolk, VA, August 7, 2004 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 7, 2004, 16:00 local time - Place: Suffolk, VA - Airport: Suffolk Municipal Airport - Phase of flight: Parachute Jumping - Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105) - Location: 36.7282° N, 76.5836° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Suffolk, VA, within about 11 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7282&lon=-76.5836&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9838Z, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9838Z) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech B90 (registry code 1152912, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-b90) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH B90 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040807022849I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) THE VICTIM WAS ENGAGED IN HIS THIRD JUMP OF THE DAY. AS REPORTED BY MULTIPLE WITNESSES, THE JUMP STARTED OUT UNEVENTFULLY, AND HE WAS SEEN FLYING HIS PARACHUTE (WHICH HAD DEPLOYED WITHOUT INCIDENT) BACK TO THE LANDING ZONE, TURNING IN FOR FINAL AT APPROX. 600-700 FT AGL, AND STARTING A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH AT APPROX. 300-350 FT AGL. HE WAS OBSERVED GRABBING THE FRONT RISERS, CONTINUE THE APPROACH, PULLING HARD ON THE RISERS UNTIL APPROX. 10-15 FT AGL. AT THAT POINT, HE WAS THEN SEEN RELEASING THE RISERS, AND APPARENTLY EITHER MISJUDGED HIS ALTITUDE, AND FAILED TO FLARE, OR WAS REACHING FOR THE REAR RISERS, WHEN HE STRUCK THE GROUND HARD. WHEN THE FIRST WITNESS REACHED THE IMPACT SITE, THE VICTIM WAS HOLDING ONLY ONE RISER TOGGLE. HE WAS STILL ALIVE, BUT LATER DIED OF HIS INJURIES AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL. BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE EVIDENCE, WHICH INCLUDED VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE FINAL STAGES OF THE JUMP AND ACTUAL LANDING, INTERVIEWS OF MULTIPLE WITNESSES, ALSO JUMPERS, THIS FATALITY WAS CONSIDERED STRICTLY ACCIDENTAL BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES. THE INVESTIGATION ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO CONTACT BETWEEN THE JUMPER AND THE AIRCRAFT, DURING THE JUMP SEQUENCE. PARACHUTE INCIDE NT. ## Other reports on N9838Z (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20230702021179I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230702021179I), Jul 2, 2023: Beech B90 (N9838Z), Waldron, MO, Minor damage. Aircraft landed after dropping jumpers and was taxing back to ramp area when left landing gear collapsed due attachment hardware failure specifically the LH… - [Incident 20160710010929I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160710010929I), Jul 10, 2016: Beech B90 (N9838Z), Waldron, MO, Minor damage. Pilot failed to lower the landing gear on landing. Pilot failed to use the landing checklist. Landing gear handle was found in the up position upon inspection… - [Incident 20031102036229I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031102036229I), Nov 2, 2003: Beech B90 (N9838Z), Suffolk, VA. (-23) 11/02/03: At 15:05 local, the richmond FSDO received notification from the com center of an incident involving a parachutist who sustained unknown… - [Incident 20020510019319I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020510019319I), May 10, 2002: Beech B90 (N9838Z), Suffolk, VA, Minor damage, 1 fatal. (-23) Bradley foster was practicing a canopy relative work (crw) parachute jump from a BE-90-B90, king air, N9838Z, operated by skydive Suffolk, inc., at… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.