# Incident 20201103015799I: Rockmart, GA, November 3, 2020

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 3, 2020, 16:00 local time
- Place: Rockmart, GA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
- Location: 34.0083° N, 85.0450° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Rockmart, GA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0083&lon=-85.0450&mi=10
- Aircraft: NONE (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported engine: N/A N/A
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20201103015799I

## Narrative

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

ON NOVEMBER 3, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 EASTERN STANDARD TIME A SKYDIVER PERFORMED A SOLO PARACHUTE JUMP FROM A HOT AIR BALLOON WHICH RESULTED IN SEVERE INJURIES TO THE SKYDIVER UPON LANDING AT AN APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF 34°01?25? NORTH AND 85°05?52? WEST. ACCORDING TO THE SKYDIVER, SHE HAD NOT PLANNED ON JUMPING FROM A HOT AIR BALLOON THAT DAY BUT WAS PROVIDED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY AND DECIDED TO TRY IT WITH A FRIEND SINCE SHE HAD NEVER DONE IT BEFORE. THE SKYDIVER STATED THAT AFTER DEPARTING THE HOT AIR BALLOON ALL EQUIPMENT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY AND SHE BEGAN LINING UP TO A PREDETERMINED LANDING ZONE IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE SKYDIVER BEGAN TO DESCEND INTO THE OPEN FIELD TRAVELING IN A SOUTHERN DIRECTION. SHE STATED THAT SHE WAS AWARE OF POWER LINES ON THE NORTH AND EAST SIDE OF THE FIELD AND A TREE LINE TO THE SOUTH, WHICH HAD A CLEARED TRAIL THROUGH IT FOR DRIVING VEHICLES. AS THE SKYDIVER DESCENDED INTO THIS OPEN FIELD AND CAME CLOSER TO THE SOUTHERN TREE LINE, SHE REALIZED THAT THERE WERE POWER LINES RUNNING PARALLEL WITH THE TREES. AT THE TIME WHEN THE POWER LINES BECAME VISIBLE, THE SKYDIVER STATED THAT SHE WAS COMING IN AT ABOUT NECK LEVEL TO THE LINES AND WAS AFRAID THAT SHE WOULD BE DECAPITATED IF SHE KEPT TRAVELING ALONG THAT PATH. IN ORDER TO AVOID THE POWER LINES THE SKYDIVER DECIDED TO MAKE A HARD RIGHT TURN THAT RESULTED IN HER HAVING A HARD LANDING ON HER RIGHT HIP. THE ONLY KNOWN WITNESS TO THIS INCIDENT STATED THAT HE HAD LANDED FIRST IN THE SAME OPEN FIELD AND WATCHED THE OTHER SKYDIVER DESCEND BUT SAW HER TRAVEL TOO FAR DOWN THE FIELD BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN. HIS OPINION WAS THAT SHE SAW THE POWER LINES AT THE SOUTH END OF THE FIELD AND HAD NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO MAKE A SHARP LOW TURN TO AVOID THE OBSTACLE. ONCE SHE INITIATED THE TURN, SHE HIT THE GROUND HARD AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THE INJURED SKYDIVER STATED THAT SHE WAS AIR LIFTED TO A HOSPITAL IN MARIETTA, GEORGIA WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT HER INJURIES INCLUDED A COMPRESSION FRACTURE IN THE SPINE, FRACTURED SACRUM AND FRACTURED PELVIS. SHE REMAINED IN THE HOSPITAL UNTIL NOVEMBER 8, 2020. WRITTEN STATEMENTS WERE REQUESTED BY INSPECTOR BUT NONE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. ADDITIONALLY, INSPECTOR WAS UNABLE TO ACQUIRE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOT AIR BALLOON. THIS REPORT WAS INITIATED BY THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER (ROC) DUE TO A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY A LOCAL NEWS AGENCY.

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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