Before the accident flight, the commercial pilot had conducted three flights, during which parachutists
were successfully dropped. After each flight, he returned the empty airplane to a dry grass airstrip (1,950
ft long) and conducted full-stop landings. Because the temperature was over 90° with high humidity, the
pilot requested that his manifests allow only up to 14 parachutists and a longer time between shutdowns
to ensure sufficient time for adequate engine cooling before the next flight. The pilot reported that popup
rain showers had been passing north and south of his base airport throughout the morning but that
they never came closer than 10 to 15 miles.
Category: Baldwin
The pilot reported that there were no observed anomalies with the left wing prior to the flight. During the flight, which was conducted as a local parachute operation, the pilot performed a descending turn. The left wing’s aileron bound when the pilot attempted to level the bank. The pilot declared an emergency.