# Incident 20171028021829I: Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER, Pepperell, MA, October 28, 2017

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 28, 2017, 15:00 local time
- Place: Pepperell, MA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- 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: N202EH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N202EH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER (registry code 2802606, https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-6-twin-otter) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: U/A Canada PT6 SER 578HP (registry code 61501, https://openairdocs.org/engine/u-a-canada-pt6-ser-578hp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DEHAVILLAND DHC-6 TWIN OTTER
- Reported engine: U/A CANADA PT6 SER 578HP
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171028021829I

## Narrative

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

FATAL SKYDIVE INCIDENT AT PEPPERELL SKYDIVE CENTER. PARACHUTIST IDENTIFIED AS RICHARD SMITH, 30 + YEARS EXPERIENCED SKYDIVER. WORKING AS A CONTRACT VIDEOGRAPHER/PHOTOGRAPHER FOR THE PEPPERELL SKYDIVE CENTER. WITNESSES STATED THEY HEARD HIS CHUTE OPEN AS A ?HARD OPENING?. HE IMMEDIATELY STARTED A SPIN NUMEROUS TIMES TO THE RIGHT. THE MAIN CHUTE WAS CUT AWAY, 2-3 SECONDS LATER THE PILOT CHUTE FOR THE RESERVE CHUTE WAS DEPLOYED AND THE RESERVE STARTED TO DEPLOY. THE RESERVE CHUTE NEVER FULLY DEPLOYED AND THE SKYDIVER IMPACTED THE GROUND SUFFERING FATAL INJURIES. THE IMPACT AREA WAS ON THE PEPPERELL SKYDIVE CENTER GROUNDS IN A GRAVEL AREA OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY 6. THE MAIN CHUTE WAS RECOVERED IN A WOODED AREA NEARBY THE FIELD.

RESULTS OF INSPECTION OF THE HARNESS, MAIN, AND RESERVE CHUTES:

MAIN PARACHUTE: TRIATHLON TR 175 S/N: 175-12380 DOM: 3/2/2016 PACKED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NON CERTIFICATED RIGGER ON 10-28-2017.

NO DEFECTS OR ABNORMALITIES OBSERVED ON ANY PANELS

NO DEFECTS ON RISERS OR CLOSING LOOPS

NO DAMAGE TO SLIDER, IT WAS NOT STOWED/ IN DOWN POSITION

BOTH BRAKES STOWED

NO EVIDENCE OF ?HARD OPENING?

RESERVE PARACHUTE: JAVELIN PD PR176 S/N:054747 PACKED BY CERTIFIED RIGGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON 8/2017

RESERVE PARACHUTE WAS PARTIALLY DEPLOYED FROM BAG; NO DEFECTS WERE NOTED ON ANY VISIBLE PORTION OF THE CANOPY

PILOT CHUTE HAD DEPLOYED, VISUAL INSPECTION SHOWED NO SIGNS OF ANY DEFECTS.

AAD VIGIL PRO MODEL S/N: 47539 WAS ACTIVATED, VERIFIED BY VISUAL INSPECTION. THE DEVICE WAS SENT TO VIGIL AMERICA TO ATTEMPT DATA RETRIEVAL FROM THE DEVICE. THE DEVICE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED; THE DATA FROM THE INCIDENT JUMP WAS UNABLE TO BE RECOVERED.

## Other reports on N202EH (3)

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

- [Incident 20191110018479I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191110018479I), Nov 10, 2019: Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER (N202EH), Zephyrhills, FL, No damage, 1 fatal. On November 10 2019 a parachutist jumped over the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport from aircraft N202EH at approximately 0902 hrs., . The parachutist landed under…
- [Incident 20160301002159I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160301002159I), Mar 1, 2016: Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER (N202EH), Zephyrhills, FL, No damage, 1 fatal. A. james rodney mann B. 200 military free fall jumps prior to year 2000. Additional 11 civilian free fall jumps in prior week following initial civilian…
- [Accident 20140823014419A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140823014419A), Aug 23, 2014: Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER (N202EH), Pepperell, MA, Minor damage. Twin otter, N202EH struck a hawk at 2000 feet while climbing for a jump operation. Hawk hit leading edge of the left wing putting a hole in leading edge and…

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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