# Incident 19950331010059I: Dhav DHC6, Deland, FL, March 31, 1995

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 31, 1995, 12:00 local time
- Place: Deland, FL
- Airport: Deland Municipal-Sidney H Taylor
- Phase of flight: Parachute Jumping
- Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
- Location: 29.0670° N, 81.2838° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at DELAND MUNI-SIDNEY H TAYLOR FLD (DED), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.0670&lon=-81.2838&mi=10
- Aircraft: N129PM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N129PM-2026-02-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER (registry code 2802606, https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-6-twin-otter) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: U/A Canada PT6A series (registry code 61508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/u-a-canada-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DHAV DHC6
- People aboard: 20
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 9,800 total, 250 in this make and model, 45 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950331010059I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: SKYDIVER DEPLOYED THE MAIN PARACHUTE AT APPROXIMATELY 4,000', A SABRE 120, AND IT FAILED TO DEPLOY COMPLETELY. THE SKYDIVER THEN INITIATED THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE RESERVE PARACHUTE WHICH BECAME ENTANGLED AND ONLY PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. THE SKYDIVER MADE AN ATTEMPT TO "CUT-AWAY" USING THE "CUT-AWAY" MECHANISM (HANDLE) BUT THE MAIN PARACHUTE WAS NOT RELEASED. THE CUT-AWAY HANDLE WAS FOUND IN THE SKYDIVER'S HAND ON IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE SKYDIVER COULDN'T RELEASE THE MAIN PARACHUTE OR DIDN'T RELEASE THE MAIN PARACHUTE. IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE CUT-AWAY TECHNIQUE USED BY THE SKYDIVER WAS ONE WHERE SHE WOULD SIMULTANEOUSLY RELEASE THE MAIN PARACHUTE AND DEPLOY THE RESERVE. THE SKYDIVER IS IN INTENSIVE CARE AT A MEDICAL FACILITY AND UNABLE TO BE INTERVIEWED. THE SKYDIVER HAD LOGGED 244 PARACHUTE JUMPS PREVIOUS TO THIS ONE AND HAD EXPERIENCED ONE SUCCESSFUL MAIN PARACHUTE MALFUNCTION.

## Other reports on N129PM (5)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20131208023109I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20131208023109I), Dec 8, 2013: Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER (N129PM), Lake Wales, FL, No damage. [privacy data omitted] Was seriously injured in a parachuting incident where his chute became entangled with [privacy data omitted] left foot during canopy…
- [Incident 20020526014049I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020526014049I), May 26, 2002: Dhav DHC6100 (N129PM), Zephyrhills, FL, 1 fatal. (-23) This was a parachute fatality. The chute was never deployed. All pieces of the rig were normal. The safety device was never activated. There is no…
- [Incident 19960601038709I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960601038709I), Jun 1, 1996: Dhav DHC6 (N129PM), Williamston, NJ, 1 fatal. Narrative: Mr. Scott ribar, a parachute jumper on his 3rd jump, affiliated with free fall adventures, landed using his emergency chute in a heavy wooded area,…
- [Incident 19950709017099I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950709017099I), Jul 9, 1995: Dhav DHC6 (N129PM), Zephyr Hills, FL, 1 fatal. Maneuvered abruptly during parachute descent to avoid another jumper. Collapsed chute. Ground impact proved fatal.
- [Incident 19830603037319I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830603037319I), Jun 3, 1983: Dhav DHC6TWNOTTER (N129PM), Boston, MA. Smoke and odor in cockpit. Landed safely. Engine oil had leaked into bleed air intake on left engine.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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