# Incident 20151121020949I: Rockwell International 690B, Maricopa, AZ, November 21, 2015

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 21, 2015, 10:29 local time
- Place: Maricopa, AZ
- Airport: Ak-Chin Community Airfield
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
- Location: 32.9916° N, 112.0236° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at Ak Chin Community Airfield (41AZ), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.9916&lon=-112.0236&mi=10
- Aircraft: N260WE, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N260WE) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Rockwell International 690B (registry code 7630516, https://openairdocs.org/model/rockwell-international-690b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: AiResearch TPE331-5&6SER (registry code 01515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/airesearch-tpe331-5-6ser) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL 690B
- Reported engine: AIRESEARCH TPE331-5&6SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 1
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151121020949I

## Narrative

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

AFTER EXAMINATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DROGUE PARACHUTE WAS NOT DEPLOYED BY THE INSTRUCTOR UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT IN A TANDEM JUMP.  THE RESERVE PARACHUTE WAS DEPLOYED BY THE INSTRUCTOR WHEN THE MAIN DIDNT RESPOND.  THE RESERVE CANOPY FULLY INFLATED AFTER DEPLOYMENT.  A WITNESS STATED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET FROM THE GROUND THE EDGE OF THE RESERVE CHUTE BUCKLED, WHICH CAUSED THE TANDEM TEAM TO VEER EXCESSIVELY, EVENTUALLY COLLAPSING THE RESERVE CHUTE.  THE STUDENT WAS FATALLY INJURED AND THE INSTRUCTOR SUSTAINED TWO BROKEN LEGS, TEN BROKEN RIBS, A CONCUSSION, AND VARIOUS CRACKED TEETH.  THE INSTRUCTOR WAS AIRLIFTED TO THE HOSPITAL.

THREE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS WERE ASKED TO EXAMINE THE PARACHUTE RIG IN A SECURED LOCATION.  IT WAS DETERMINED THAT BOTH THE MAIN AND RESERVE PARACHUTES WERE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER, WERE PROPERLY MAINTAINED, AND PACKED.   IN NORMAL SEQUENCE THE DROGUE PARACHUTE IS DEPLOYED FIRST, THEN THE MAIN.  THE MAIN PARACHUTE WILL NOT DEPLOY WITHOUT THE DROGUE PARACHUTE DEPLOYING FIRST.  THE DROGUE PARACHUTE HAD NOT BEEN DEPLOYED BUT WAS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND WAS PROPERLY PACKED.  ALL REQUIRED MARKINGS AND CERTIFICATES WERE INTACT AND APPROPRIATE.

DURING AN INTERVIEW THE INSTRUCTOR BELIEVED THAT HE HAD DEPLOYED THE DROGUE PARACHUTE.  HE STATED THAT AFTER THE RESERVE PARACHUTE WAS DEPLOYED THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR HIT A GUST OF WIND WHICH HE BELIEVED CAUSED THE CAUSED THE EDGE OF THE RESERVE CHUTE TO FOLD OVER, CONSEQUENTLY DEFLATING THE RESERVE CHUTE AT 300 FEET.

THE PARACHUTE RIG WAS RETURNED TO THE OWNER AFTER EXAMINATION.

## Other reports on N260WE (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20040220007929I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040220007929I), Feb 20, 2004: Gulstm 690B (N260WE), Syracuse, NY. (-23) On February 20, 2004, at 1951 EST, a rockwell international GA-690-B, s/n 11536, N260WE, operated by EMS air service of NY inc., experienced a control…

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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