What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)Based on the investigation by officerprivacy data omitted of the park county sheriif's office, livingston, Montana, eye witnesses reported the following: privacy data omitted departed aircraft N223AL over the emigrant are near Chico hot springs, MT with the intent of parachuting to the valley floor. At approximately 300 feet above ground level, privacy data omitted performed a "hook turn" which brought him around 180 degrees and initiated a rapid descent. privacy data omitted Contacted the ground a rate of speed and received fatal injuries. One witness stated that privacy data omittedseemed to fall out of the air the last 50 feet. One witness suspected that a wind rotor from a ridge to the west may have affected privacy data omitted canopy and caused a wind shear condition. An experienced parachutist, not an eyewitness, explained a "hook turn" as a radical move that can be perfromed by a high perfromance parachute in which the jumper is swung around in rotation and flies facing the earth before the weight of the jumper swings below the canopy at high speed and continues to fly normally.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)BASED ON THE INVESTIGATION BY OFFICER^PRIVACY DATA^ OF THE PARK COUNTY SHERIIF'S OFFICE, LIVINGSTON, MONTANA, EYE WITNESSES REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: ^PRIVACY DATA OMI^ DEPARTED AIRCRAFT N223AL OVER THE EMIGRANT ARE NEAR CHICO HOT SPRINGS, MT WITH THE INTENT OF PARACHUTING TO THE VALLEY FLOOR. AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, ^PRIVACY D^ PERFORMED A "HOOK TURN" WHICH BROUGHT HIM AROUND 180 DEGREES AND INITIATED A RAPID DESCENT. ^PRIVACY D^ CONTACTED THE GROUND A RATE OF SPEED AND RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT ^PRIVACY DAT^SEEMED TO FALL OUT OF THE AIR THE LAST 50 FEET. ONE WITNESS SUSPECTED THAT A WIND ROTOR FROM A RIDGE TO THE WEST MAY HAVE AFFECTED ^PRIVACY DAT^ CANOPY AND CAUSED A WIND SHEAR CONDITION. AN EXPERIENCED PARACHUTIST, NOT AN EYEWITNESS, EXPLAINED A "HOOK TURN" AS A RADICAL MOVE THAT CAN BE PERFROMED BY A HIGH PERFROMANCE PARACHUTE IN WHICH THE JUMPER IS SWUNG AROUND IN ROTATION AND FLIES FACING THE EARTH BEFORE THE WEIGHT OF THE JUMPER SWINGS BELOW THE CANOPY AT HIGH SPEED AND CONTINUES TO FLY NORMALLY.
Other reports on N223AL · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.