| Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14/07/2002 | Hinton, England | LOWT | 32 | 432 | ?/? | |||
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| BPA Description: was critically injured performing a low turn, on the 14th July. She died from her injuries on the 21st July.
Circulated to those present was a Board of Inquiry Report resume, including the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Board, which consisted of the NCSO & Technical Officer. This report needs to be formally accepted by STC. At approximately 11:20 hrs on Sunday 14th July 2002, Rachel Louise Gray boarded a LET 410 along with sixteen other parachutists, which was to be the 4th parachuting lift of the day for that aircraft. The aircraft climbed to approximately 12,000ft AGL. A ‘jump run’ was made over the centre of the PLA. Once the aircraft was at the correct EP approximately half the parachutists on board exited. The aircraft then completed a second circuit and ‘ran in’ over the PLA again. Once over the correct EP the remainder of the parachutists exited, with Rachel being the first to leave. Rachel Gray was carrying out a solo jump. Her canopy was seen to deploy at the correct altitude, (between 2-3000ft AGL), and was seen to be flying correctly. |
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| BPA Conclusions:The Conclusions of the Board are that Rachel made an uneventful free fall decent. Deployed her main parachute at the correct altitude, and remained in a suitable area above the intended landing area. At a very low altitude, approximately 100ft AGL, she initiated a radical left turn, having been facing in a northerly direction, in order to face south for landing. She then struck the ground at high speed before fully completing the turn.
There had been very little wind at the time of the accident and all parachutists on board the aircraft had been instructed, prior to take off, by the CCI to land facing in a southerly direction. Prior to the accident Rachel had completed only three jumps during 2002. These had all been within the previous six weeks. With 432 jumps, she was an experienced parachutist. However, the Board believes that this lack of currency, together with the low wind speed, may have contributed to Rachel making the incorrect decision to turn so low to the ground. At approximately 100ft AGL Rachel’s canopy, which was flying in a northerly direction, was observed to make a radical left turn, impacting with the ground before the turn was completed. |
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| Name | Rachel Gray | |||||||