Accident Overview
On March 8, 2014, at approximately 1104 eastern standard time, a Cessna 170B (registration N211R) collided with the ground after striking a parachutist and parachute in flight at South Lakeland Airport (X49) in Mulberry, Florida. The private pilot and the parachutist sustained minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight had originated about 1045.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, he was on final approach for runway 32 and was approximately 15 feet above the ground when a parachutist descended directly in front of him, appearing poised to land at the center of the approach end of the runway. The pilot initiated a climb to avoid the parachutist, but the parachute rigging caught the airplane's wing, causing the aircraft to crash in a nose-first attitude.
Parachutist Account
The parachutist reported being part of a group of 5 to 7 individuals making jumps that day. After deploying his parachute, he maneuvered to parallel the runway. While executing a left turn to land into the wind (light winds of 3 to 5 knots), his approach path crossed the approach end of runway 32. At about 75 feet above ground level, he suddenly observed the airplane approaching. The airplane's wing contacted his parachute, after which he landed and the airplane crashed.
Witness Accounts
Two witnesses stated that the parachutist's glide path crossed the approach end of runway 32. One witness noted that the airplane's right wing caught the parachute suspension lines, causing the airplane to crash and the parachutist to be thrown to the ground. Another witness reported that the pilot was performing his third touch-and-go landing of the flight.
Regulatory Context
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular 90-66A, paragraph 9e, addresses parachute operations at airports without control towers, advising that parachutists should land within established drop zones and avoid runways, while pilots and parachutists should take steps to avoid conflicts. Additionally, 14 CFR Part 105.5 states that no parachute operation may create a hazard to air traffic or persons or property on the surface. The FAA Airport/Facility Directory noted "Parachute jumping and ultralight activity invof arpt."
The pilot, aged 87, did not possess a current FAA medical certificate; his most recent was a third-class certificate issued on February 8, 2010. He also could not provide evidence of a current flight review as required by 14 CFR Part 61.56.