What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Inspector's statement: on January 5, 2003, at 1806 FAA inspector john judge was notified by the regional operations center of a skydiving accident in Creswell, Oregon. Paul whelchel jumped out of N9793B above Creswell airport at 13500 feet. The skydiving outfit that Mr. Whelchel was jumping with was wright brothers skydive, Creswell, Oregon. Mr. Whelchel was an experienced skydiver. Mr. Whelchel had approximately 300 jumps. He obtained his training over 30 years ago. He had remedial training at wright brother skydive about 4 years ago. Mr. Whelchel was a frequent skydiver. Witnesses informed investigators that they watched Mr. Whelchel free fall and saw his parachute open at a lower than usual altitude. Mr. Whelchel descended with a fully opened parachute and landed on the ground. When Mr. Whelchel was found, his main parachute was still in its container, not deployed. His reserve chute was found to be deployed. The reserve chute had a automatic activation device, which was set to automatically deploy the reserve chute at 750 feet. The steering toggles and brakes were found stowed, which means he never used them. The medical examiner's report reveals that Mr. Whelchel died from a heart attack. The body had no evidence of death from ground impact. Considering the above evidence, inspector rick clark concluded that sometime after Mr. Whelchel jumped from the aircraft, he experienced a heart attack. This happened before the altitude which Mr. Whelchel would have deployed the main parachute. Consequently, Mr. Whelchel fell to 750 feet, and then his reserve chute was deployed by the aad. Mr. Whelchel failed to use the steering toggles and brakes. Inspection of the parachute equipment revealed that the main parachute was still in its container, not deployed. The pilot chute for the main chute was out of its pocket and found to be not cocked properly. It was about 4 inches from being completely cocked. The consequences of this will be explained in the next paragraph. The reserve chute was found to be deployed and the aad was fired. The reserve chute was found to be last packed on March 23, 2002. The reserve parachute was a precision raven iii, serial number 374876. The harness and container was a sun path javelin, serial number 19591. The aad was a cypres 106044645DCA22-10. When the pilot chute is not fully cocked, the pilot chute, potentially, will not obtain maximum performance. The pilot chute pulls the main chute out of its container for deployment. The main chute was last packed by Mr. Whelchel. privacy data omitted Mr. Whelchel was presumed to be dead before being able to deploy the pilot chute. Inspector clark inspected the aircraft, N9793B, Cessna 208B. He did not find any substantial airworthiness issues with the aircraft related to this skydive incident. The weather at Creswell airport was clear blue skies, no clouds, and ground fog was moving in. Witnesses said that the drop zone was clear of fog.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT: ON JANUARY 5, 2003, AT 1806 FAA INSPECTOR JOHN JUDGE WAS NOTIFIED BY THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER OF A SKYDIVING ACCIDENT IN CRESWELL, OREGON. PAUL WHELCHEL JUMPED OUT OF N9793B ABOVE CRESWELL AIRPORT AT 13500 FEET. THE SKYDIVING OUTFIT THAT MR. WHELCHEL WAS JUMPING WITH WAS WRIGHT BROTHERS SKYDIVE, CRESWELL, OREGON. MR. WHELCHEL WAS AN EXPERIENCED SKYDIVER. MR. WHELCHEL HAD APPROXIMATELY 300 JUMPS. HE OBTAINED HIS TRAINING OVER 30 YEARS AGO. HE HAD REMEDIAL TRAINING AT WRIGHT BROTHER SKYDIVE ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO. MR. WHELCHEL WAS A FREQUENT SKYDIVER. WITNESSES INFORMED INVESTIGATORS THAT THEY WATCHED MR. WHELCHEL FREE FALL AND SAW HIS PARACHUTE OPEN AT A LOWER THAN USUAL ALTITUDE. MR. WHELCHEL DESCENDED WITH A FULLY OPENED PARACHUTE AND LANDED ON THE GROUND. WHEN MR. WHELCHEL WAS FOUND, HIS MAIN PARACHUTE WAS STILL IN ITS CONTAINER, NOT DEPLOYED. HIS RESERVE CHUTE WAS FOUND TO BE DEPLOYED. THE RESERVE CHUTE HAD A AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE, WHICH WAS SET TO AUTOMATICALLY DEPLOY THE RESERVE CHUTE AT 750 FEET. THE STEERING TOGGLES AND BRAKES WERE FOUND STOWED, WHICH MEANS HE NEVER USED THEM. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S REPORT REVEALS THAT MR. WHELCHEL DIED FROM A HEART ATTACK. THE BODY HAD NO EVIDENCE OF DEATH FROM GROUND IMPACT. CONSIDERING THE ABOVE EVIDENCE, INSPECTOR RICK CLARK CONCLUDED THAT SOMETIME AFTER MR. WHELCHEL JUMPED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, HE EXPERIENCED A HEART ATTACK. THIS HAPPENED BEFORE THE ALTITUDE WHICH MR. WHELCHEL WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED THE MAIN PARACHUTE. CONSEQUENTLY, MR. WHELCHEL FELL TO 750 FEET, AND THEN HIS RESERVE CHUTE WAS DEPLOYED BY THE AAD. MR. WHELCHEL FAILED TO USE THE STEERING TOGGLES AND BRAKES. INSPECTION OF THE PARACHUTE EQUIPMENT REVEALED THAT THE MAIN PARACHUTE WAS STILL IN ITS CONTAINER, NOT DEPLOYED. THE PILOT CHUTE FOR THE MAIN CHUTE WAS OUT OF ITS POCKET AND FOUND TO BE NOT COCKED PROPERLY. IT WAS ABOUT 4 INCHES FROM BEING COMPLETELY COCKED. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS WILL BE EXPLAINED IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH. THE RESERVE CHUTE WAS FOUND TO BE DEPLOYED AND THE AAD WAS FIRED. THE RESERVE CHUTE WAS FOUND TO BE LAST PACKED ON MARCH 23, 2002. THE RESERVE PARACHUTE WAS A PRECISION RAVEN III, SERIAL NUMBER 374876. THE HARNESS AND CONTAINER WAS A SUN PATH JAVELIN, SERIAL NUMBER 19591. THE AAD WAS A CYPRES 106044645DCA22-10. WHEN THE PILOT CHUTE IS NOT FULLY COCKED, THE PILOT CHUTE, POTENTIALLY, WILL NOT OBTAIN MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE. THE PILOT CHUTE PULLS THE MAIN CHUTE OUT OF ITS CONTAINER FOR DEPLOYMENT. THE MAIN CHUTE WAS LAST PACKED BY MR. WHELCHEL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MR. WHELCHEL WAS PRESUMED TO BE DEAD BEFORE BEING ABLE TO DEPLOY THE PILOT CHUTE. INSPECTOR CLARK INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT, N9793B, CESSNA 208B. HE DID NOT FIND ANY SUBSTANTIAL AIRWORTHINESS ISSUES WITH THE AIRCRAFT RELATED TO THIS SKYDIVE INCIDENT. THE WEATHER AT CRESWELL AIRPORT WAS CLEAR BLUE SKIES, NO CLOUDS, AND GROUND FOG WAS MOVING IN. WITNESSES SAID THAT THE DROP ZONE WAS CLEAR OF FOG.