What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)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 skydiver was pulled from the strut and into the empennage section. He impacted the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator, causing substantial damage to the tail. The skydiver was fatally injured. The airplane was landed, using the elevator trim, without further incident.(-23) at 10,000 feet, while standing on the jump step of Cessna N7247E, parachutist benjamin lunn experienced an accident deployment of his reserve parachute. Mr. Lunn was pulled from the jump step and struck the horizontal stabilizer of N7247E, severely damaging the stabilizer and jamming the elevator. Mr. Lunn's parachute was damaged, and he spun out of control to the ground and suffered severe injuries. At the moment the jumper hit the horizontal stabilizer, the aircraft pitched up. In order to maintain safe airspeed, the pilot, silke eyles, had to use the trim to trim the plane fully nose down. The pilot was able to maintain positive control, and with operating rudder and ailerons, was able to land the aircraft successfully at Green Sea airport, SC.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)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 SKYDIVER WAS PULLED FROM THE STRUT AND INTO THE EMPENNAGE SECTION. HE IMPACTED THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL. THE SKYDIVER WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED, USING THE ELEVATOR TRIM, WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.(-23) AT 10,000 FEET, WHILE STANDING ON THE JUMP STEP OF CESSNA N7247E, PARACHUTIST BENJAMIN LUNN EXPERIENCED AN ACCIDENT DEPLOYMENT OF HIS RESERVE PARACHUTE. MR. LUNN WAS PULLED FROM THE JUMP STEP AND STRUCK THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER OF N7247E, SEVERELY DAMAGING THE STABILIZER AND JAMMING THE ELEVATOR. MR. LUNN'S PARACHUTE WAS DAMAGED, AND HE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL TO THE GROUND AND SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES. AT THE MOMENT THE JUMPER HIT THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN SAFE AIRSPEED, THE PILOT, SILKE EYLES, HAD TO USE THE TRIM TO TRIM THE PLANE FULLY NOSE DOWN. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE CONTROL, AND WITH OPERATING RUDDER AND AILERONS, WAS ABLE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT SUCCESSFULLY AT GREEN SEA AIRPORT, SC.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.