What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot, travis william marshall states: I departed OR66 at approximately 18:20 with myself and four parachutists aboard. I conducted a normal climb to 2000 MSL, contacted portland approach on 118.1, and continued to climb at 80 knots until reaching 10,500 MSL east of OR66. I conducted a normal jump run from south to north and contacted portland approach seven to eight minutes prior and then again one minute prior to dropping parachutists. On a heading of approximately 320 degrees at an altitude of 10,500 MSL I slowed the aircraft to 60 knots and applied twenty degrees of wing flap. As the aircraft decelerated through 70 knots I gave the signal to open the door and it was opened. All four jumpers took up normal positions along the right exterior of the airplane. Within approximately three seconds, I became aware of an abnormal situation involving the jumpers and heard someone call "cut away." I focused upon maintaining airspeed at 60 knots, which required entering a slight descent because of the added drag on the airframe. I then observed what appeared to be strands of parachute cord flapping loose near the right landing gear strut. As rick liston maneuvered away from the aircraft with the assistance of the other jumpers, the airplane pitched violently nose down approximately ten degrees and the remaining three parachutists jumped clear of the aircraft. I couldn't see what was causing the airplane to be difficult to control, but I was able at this point to recover to a straight and level attitude momentarily before the nose pitched down again and I was unable to raise the nose with full aft elevator control or trim. I closed the throttle, secured my knife and applied slight right rudder in an attempt to yaw to the right and locate anything that might be wrapped around the landing gear and attempt to cut it away. At this point the airplane entered a vertical dive and would no longer respond to any of the controls. I observed the airspeed exceed 160 knots and decided to leave the airplane. The airplane then inverted and began to spin. I dragged myself out onto the right wing and jumped clear of the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT, TRAVIS WILLIAM MARSHALL STATES: I DEPARTED OR66 AT APPROXIMATELY 18:20 WITH MYSELF AND FOUR PARACHUTISTS ABOARD. I CONDUCTED A NORMAL CLIMB TO 2000 MSL, CONTACTED PORTLAND APPROACH ON 118.1, AND CONTINUED TO CLIMB AT 80 KNOTS UNTIL REACHING 10,500 MSL EAST OF OR66. I CONDUCTED A NORMAL JUMP RUN FROM SOUTH TO NORTH AND CONTACTED PORTLAND APPROACH SEVEN TO EIGHT MINUTES PRIOR AND THEN AGAIN ONE MINUTE PRIOR TO DROPPING PARACHUTISTS. ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 320 DEGREES AT AN ALTITUDE OF 10,500 MSL I SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO 60 KNOTS AND APPLIED TWENTY DEGREES OF WING FLAP. AS THE AIRCRAFT DECELERATED THROUGH 70 KNOTS I GAVE THE SIGNAL TO OPEN THE DOOR AND IT WAS OPENED. ALL FOUR JUMPERS TOOK UP NORMAL POSITIONS ALONG THE RIGHT EXTERIOR OF THE AIRPLANE. WITHIN APPROXIMATELY THREE SECONDS, I BECAME AWARE OF AN ABNORMAL SITUATION INVOLVING THE JUMPERS AND HEARD SOMEONE CALL "CUT AWAY." I FOCUSED UPON MAINTAINING AIRSPEED AT 60 KNOTS, WHICH REQUIRED ENTERING A SLIGHT DESCENT BECAUSE OF THE ADDED DRAG ON THE AIRFRAME. I THEN OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE STRANDS OF PARACHUTE CORD FLAPPING LOOSE NEAR THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR STRUT. AS RICK LISTON MANEUVERED AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE OTHER JUMPERS, THE AIRPLANE PITCHED VIOLENTLY NOSE DOWN APPROXIMATELY TEN DEGREES AND THE REMAINING THREE PARACHUTISTS JUMPED CLEAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. I COULDN'T SEE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO BE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, BUT I WAS ABLE AT THIS POINT TO RECOVER TO A STRAIGHT AND LEVEL ATTITUDE MOMENTARILY BEFORE THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN AGAIN AND I WAS UNABLE TO RAISE THE NOSE WITH FULL AFT ELEVATOR CONTROL OR TRIM. I CLOSED THE THROTTLE, SECURED MY KNIFE AND APPLIED SLIGHT RIGHT RUDDER IN AN ATTEMPT TO YAW TO THE RIGHT AND LOCATE ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE WRAPPED AROUND THE LANDING GEAR AND ATTEMPT TO CUT IT AWAY. AT THIS POINT THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A VERTICAL DIVE AND WOULD NO LONGER RESPOND TO ANY OF THE CONTROLS. I OBSERVED THE AIRSPEED EXCEED 160 KNOTS AND DECIDED TO LEAVE THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE THEN INVERTED AND BEGAN TO SPIN. I DRAGGED MYSELF OUT ONTO THE RIGHT WING AND JUMPED CLEAR OF THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.