Cessna 170B N211R

Summary

On 8 March 2014 at about 16:04 local time, a Cessna 170B registered N211R, operated by Trembley Sharon L, was involved in an accident near Mulberry, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 March 2014 at 16:04

Classification

Accident

Location

Mulberry, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

South Lakeland (X49)

Coordinates

27.9294, -82.0403

Aircraft

Cessna 170B

Registration

N211R

Category

Airplane

Year built

1952

Engines

1

Operator

Trembley Sharon L

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mulberry → Mulberry

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14LA146

1 person had minor injuries.

The failure of the pilot and the parachutist to see and avoid each other, which resulted in the airplane’s wing colliding with the parachute’s suspension lines.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane was on final approach for runway 32 about 15 feet above the ground when he observed a parachutist "drop down in front of" him. He maneuvered to avoid the parachutist; however, the airplane's right wing collided with the parachute's suspension lines. The airplane crashed nose-first into the ground, and the parachutist was thrown to the ground. The parachutist reported that he was maneuvering to land at the drop zone and was crossing the approach end of runway 32 about 75 feet above the ground when he first observed the airplane "coming at" him. The pilot was a resident of the fly-in community, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport/Facility Directory noted that parachuting operations were conducted in the vicinity of the airport. Although the airplane had been established in the traffic pattern and the parachutist had the opportunity to observe aircraft operations as he descended, it is apparent that the pilot and the parachutist were unaware of each other's presence until just before the collision. FAA Advisory Circular 90-66A, paragraph 9e, states, "Pilots and parachutists should both be aware of the limited flight performance of parachutes and take steps to avoid any potential conflicts between aircraft and parachute operations." Thus, both the pilot and the parachutist were responsible for being aware of each other's presence and avoiding each other.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.