Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lebanon, New Hampshire 03784
Saturday, July 24, 1993 13:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

OPENING ACT WAS FOR 3 JUMPERS TO EXIT FROM JUMP-PLANE (J/P) AT 3500' AGL; 2 JUMPERS WERE TO JOIN AT 2000' TO DISPLAY FLAG, WHILE 3RD JUMPER WAS TO CIRCLE ABOVE. N90BC & N31485 WERE TO CIRCLE JUMPERS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. N90BC WAS TO CIRCLE CLOCKWISE, OUTSIDE TURN RADIUS OF N31485, WHICH WOULD CIRCLE COUNTERCLOCKWISE. WHEN 2 OF 3 JUMPERS EXITED FROM J/A, PILOT OF N31485 BANKED LEFT INTO SPIRAL, APPARENTLY UNAWARE OF 3RD JUMPER. 3RD JUMPER DELAYED UNTIL N31485 WAS CLEAR, THEN JUMPED AS J/A CONTINUED ON SAME HEADING. PHOTO SHOWED N90BC WAS TO THE RIGHT & AT AN UNDETERMINED DISTANCE BEHIND N31485 AS 1ST 2 JUMPERS EXITED. AFTER 3RD JUMPER EXITED, HE & N90BC COLLIDED. N90BC WAS DAMAGED, WENT OUT OF CONTROL & CRASHED. AFTER ACCIDENT, SOME PARTICIPANTS OF PRESHOW BRIEFING DID NOT RECALL A 3RD JUMPER BEING MENTIONED, ALTHOUGH OTHERS REMEMBERED. 3RD JUMPER WAS NOT PRESENT FOR PRESHOW BRIEFING, BUT AC 91-45C ALLOWED FOR ONLY 1 MEMBER FROM EACH TEAM TO ATTEND PRESHOW BRIEFING, THEN BRIEF OTHER TEAM MEMBERS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADEQUATE CREW/GROUP COORDINATION.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/24/1993
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1300
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City LEBANON
Event State NEW HAMPSHIRE
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 03784
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1302 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 1
Weather Observation Facility ID LEB
Elevation of weather observation facility 598
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 6000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 330
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 1
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1053
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 24 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1500
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:27PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N90BC
NTSB Number BFO93FA135
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name KROWELL
Aircraft Model CHRISTEN EAGLE II
Aircraft Series Identifier CHRISTEN E
Aircraft Serial Number 05658EE
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 18 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 389
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MCGRATH, MARY J.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 11 BLUEBIRD DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City COLCHESTER
Aircraft Owner State VT
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 05446
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MCGRATH, MARY J.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 11 BLUEBIRD DRIVE
Operator City COLCHESTER
Operator State VT
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 05446
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code LEB
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1245
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code LEB
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --