The airplane quickly became airborne and started an extremely steep climb for several hundred feet, which was followed by an equally steep descent until the airplane collided with terrain. The airplane had just completed one jump flight, and a different pilot fueled the airplane in preparation for the accident flight. The airplane was configured with one seat on the left side for the pilot and a 2-inch pad with seat belts for up to four skydivers.
Category: Fatal
Following the 12th sport parachute jump of the day, which occurred after sunset, ground witnesses observed the airplane descend into the ocean in a left wing low, nose down attitude. They did not hear the engines sputtering or popping, or see the airplane make any erratic movements during its descent.
The airplane departed on a parachuting flight with 5 parachutists on board. Several witnesses reported hearing the airplane during climb out. Each witness described smooth engine noise, brief ‘sputtering,’ and then a total loss of engine power. The airplane descended straight ahead at the same pitch attitude, then the nose dropped, a parachutist exited, and the airplane entered a spiraling descent.
According to the FAA, the skydiver was standing on the strut preparing to jump when his pilot parachute opened and wrapped around the tail section of the airplane.
The parachute jump flight’s airplane was at 3,700 feet MSL when the pilot cancelled the operation with the FAA approach controller without explanation. Witnesses observed the airplane trailing white and black smoke. One witness said he saw the airplane trailing black smoke with its engine making a banging sound. Three witnesses at the accident airport said the airplane had smoke and flames coming from the airplane’s cowl and along the windshield as it approached the airport.
During the loading of 17 parachutists, a 31-year-old male parachutist notified the loader/jump master that on his next jump he would have a smoke canister on the airplane and that the pilot should be notified.
The airplane flew eight times on the same day, prior to the accident flight, taking skydivers aloft and releasing them. According to the airplane’s log, the airplane was refueled 2 flights prior to the accident flight with 20 gallons of fuel. According to the owner, this was to keep the airplane within the center of gravity limits.
Witnesses reported that immediately after the airplane took off, it went into a left turn, and that its nose then dropped and it impacted the ground at a steep angle. No evidence of preimpact conditions interfering with normal operation was found during on-site examination or in follow-up examinations of the airplane’s engine, propeller, and carburetor.
A passenger-parachutist stated she had exited the cabin and was on the jump platform preparing to jump from about 3,500 feet when the left wing and nose dropped and the aircraft entered a spin to the left. After an unknown number of revolutions she jumped from the aircraft and deployed her chute
The flight returned from dropping parachutists, and the pilot left the engines running as the next load of parachutists loaded. A passenger, who had ridden on the previous flight, was instructed by the pilot to exit through the rear door and that ground personnel would direct her.
The pilot stated that after climbing to 10,000′ msl on a skydiving flight, the occupants began preparations for the fourth and final parachute jump of the day. The first parachutist (skydiver) of three was standing on the right wing strut preparing to jump, when his main parachute (that he had packed himself) deployed inadvertently.
The airplane was loaded with 10 sport parachutists and one pilot. Later, investigators calculated that the maximum gross weight was exceeded by 149.6 pounds, and the center of gravity was 2.87 inches aft of the aft limit. The cabin door had been removed for parachuting operations; however, an altered Flight Manual Supplement had been used as authority for the door removal.
During an attempted freestyle jump from 10,500 feet msl, the parachutist gripped a bar in the airplane, then swung his legs outside and let go. During this attempted exit, the parachutist hit his head on the doorway floor.
The pilot was asked by the airport manager to fly a parachute jump flight in a cessna 172. The manager suggested that the pilot make a soft field takeoff & climb straight out to gain altitude. Witnesses reported the takeoff and initial climb appeared normal, but at about 200′ agl, the airplane leveled off, then descended about 50′ and continued forward for a moment
A piper pa-28, n3011f, was in vfr cruise flight heading eastbound at about 5700′ msl, as a cessna 210 (parachute jump plane) had just completed a clearing turn to a westbound heading, into the sun, at 7300′ msl. A parachutist jumped from the jump plane & struck the vertical stabilizer of the pa-28 after a few seconds of free fall. Control of the pa-28 was lost, & it crashed in an uncontrolled descent.
The reserve parachute of one of the skydivers inadvertently deployed and pulled him out of the airplane, striking the left horizontal stabilizer. Examination of the reserve parachute revealed no evidence of any fault with the automatic signaling device.
The passengers(parachutists) reported that after the airplane became airborne they heard ‘backfiring’, a ‘bang’ and ‘….Saw white smoke…’ the jumpmaster reported that the engine quit after the airplane turned downwind. The airplane continued to lose altitude on downwind and during the turn to the runway. It crossed the approach end of the runway at a 45-deg angle and dragged a wing on the runway, coming to rest next to the runway.
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.
After takeoff, the airplane was seen at low altitude trailing smoke from the left engine. Witnesses saw the wings ‘tipping’ back and forth, then a wing dropped and hit the ground. Examination revealed that a supercharger bearing had failed in the left engine. The left engine had been recently installed by non-certificated personnel after being inactive for 18 yrs without preservation.
The ground loader had fueled the airplane from the airport fuel truck. He stated that the flight crew did not sump the fuel tanks after they were fueled. Immediately after takeoff the right engine lost power, the right wing lowered to about 90 deg, and the airplane impacted the ground adjacent to the runway. Then forward fuel tank, which provides fuel to the right engine, was found to contain about 8 gals of a heavily contaminated mixture composed of water,
The flight was in level cruise and 3 of the 4 jumpers were positioned on the step ready to jump. The reserve chute on one of the jumpers accidently deployed and was sucked forward and over the right wing leading edge. The jumper was pulled forward and over the wing, and in the process, hit his head on the wing leading edge and substantially damaged the internal wing structure. As the jumper’s chute deployed over the wing, the aircraft was rolled inverted. The other jumpers jumped and parachuted to the ground safely.
The plts of 2 cessna 182 acft took off from rwy 10 in formation. One of these, n6384a, had 4 skydivers aboard. After takeoff, the plt of n6384a discontinued formation flt & depd to the se, while the otr cessna depd ne. At about the same time, a piper pa-28, n4676r, was apchg the arpt with a dual student & instructor (cfi) aboard. Subsequently, the 2 acft converged & collided about 1-1/2 mi se of the arpt. No known witness saw the collision; the altitude & headings of the acft were not verified. During impact, the 2 acft became entangled & they impacted the ground at the same location. An investigation revealed evidence that the high wing cessna & the low wing pa-28 converged laterally, while on flt paths that angled toward each other.
The engine lost power as the pilot made a power reduction shortly after takeoff. During a forced landing in a christmas tree crop, the airplane stalled about 90 ft agl. Investigation revealed that the muffler cones were missing. Witnesses and the pilot stated that the temperature was 40 deg f and the dew point aprx 36 deg. That combination is within the range favorable to induction system icing.
During a skydiving operation, the aircraft was slowed to slow cruise flight for a parachute jump. As skydivers were moving to the exit door for a group jump, the d-ring of one skydiver’s reserve parachute became entangled on a protruding cabin door support bracket. The reserve chute deployed & was caught in the slip stream. The skydiver was then pulled from the open door. He impacted the right horizontal stabilizer, fell 4000 ft to the ground & was fatally injured. Most of the right stabilizer was torn from the aircraft. After its separation, the aircraft entered a dive & the remaining skydivers jumped from the plane.
The pilot of the cessna 182 was descending in a right turn after dropping parachute jumpers at 4500 ft msl. As he descended below 1500 ft msl, his aircraft collided with a beech a36. The a36 had departed from the queen city airport and was in the traffic pattern to land at the airport when the collision occurred. The cessna crashed in a paved parking lot of a shopping center and the beech crashed into a new car dealership’s parking lot. Both aircraft were destroyed along with several cars in the dealership’s lot.