- Date
- September 29, 2002, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pawtucket, RI
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N9347BCessna 208B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-01
- FAA report
- 20020929030329A
- Case key
- 55794
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The parachutist's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point, which resulted in contact with the operating propeller of a parked airplane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After a parachute drop flight, the airplane taxied back to the ramp area. The airplane was parked on the ramp, with the engine running, while the next group of parachutists were boarding the airplane. During that time, a parachutist who had just landed, contacted the propeller and sustained a serious injury. Witnesses reported observing the parachutist descending toward the airplane without altering her course. One witness reported he "tackled" the parachutist to the ground; however, the parachute became entangled in the airplane's propeller and subsequently dragged the parachutist into the propeller. The parachutist had completed an estimated 18 prior jumps, which included 4 jumps at the accident airport. Winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident were calm.
Factual narrative
On September 29, 2002, about 1600 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 208B, N9347B, was not damaged while stopped on the ramp at the North Central State Airport (SFZ), Pawtucket, Rhode Island, when a parachutist contacted the propeller. The certificated airline transport pilot was not injured; however, the parachutist sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the parachuting flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
During an interview, the pilot said he landed after conducting his tenth parachute drop flight of the day, and while taxing back to the ramp, he stopped to ensure that all the parachutists had landed. The pilot did not observe any further canopies, and taxied back to the ramp. The airplane was parked on the ramp, with the engine running, while the next group of parachutists were boarding the airplane. The pilot then heard screams and observed a canopy enter the propeller. The pilot immediately shut down the engine.
Witnesses reported observing the parachutist descending toward the airplane without altering her course. One witness reported he "tackled" the parachutist to the ground; however, the parachute became entangled in the airplane's propeller and subsequently dragged the parachutist into the propeller.
The parachutist had completed an estimated 18 prior jumps, which included 4 jumps at SFZ. The pilot estimated that the normal parachutist landing zone was between 50 to 300 feet from the ramp area.
Winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident were calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9347B
- Reported as
- Cessna 208B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 208B0059
- Airframe hours
- 8,000
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT-6A-114A, 675 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Boston-Providence Skydiving Center
- Registered owner
- Kevin McCole
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SFZ · Pawtucket, RI
- Destination
- SFZ
- Airport
- SFZ · North Central State
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,900 total · 700 in this make and model · 4,850 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- SFZ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.