20040627024669I

Incident

FAA incident report · Cessna 182E · Belen, NM · June 27, 2004

Date: June 27, 2004 · 11:15 local
Place: Belen, NM
Phase of flight: Parachute Jumping
Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
Aircraft: N9342X
Reported as: Cessna 182E
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On June 27, 2004, at approximately 1100 MDT, Mr. Harvey e. buskirk, jr. was acting as a parachute instructor with skydive new Mexico. Mr. Buskirk and his student exited the aircraft at 10,000 AGL and began working on docking procedures. At 5,000 feet, they separated and deployed their main parachutes. The student noticed that Mr. Buskirk was spiraling down, but thought that since he was so experienced that he was just losing altitude faster to land. When the student noticed Mr. Buskirk again, he saw that Mr. Buskirk's arms were at his side and that his head was laid back. After Mr. Buskirk impacted the ground, the student ran to Mr. Buskirk and tried to render cpr with no reaction. Fire department and parmedics arrived on the scene pronouncing Mr. Buskirk deceased. There were three jumpers aboard the aircraft besides Mr. Buskirk. All witnesses said that Mr. Buskirk was acting and behaving normally during the ascent.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JUNE 27, 2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 MDT, MR. HARVEY E. BUSKIRK, JR. WAS ACTING AS A PARACHUTE INSTRUCTOR WITH SKYDIVE NEW MEXICO. MR. BUSKIRK AND HIS STUDENT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AT 10,000 AGL AND BEGAN WORKING ON DOCKING PROCEDURES. AT 5,000 FEET, THEY SEPARATED AND DEPLOYED THEIR MAIN PARACHUTES. THE STUDENT NOTICED THAT MR. BUSKIRK WAS SPIRALING DOWN, BUT THOUGHT THAT SINCE HE WAS SO EXPERIENCED THAT HE WAS JUST LOSING ALTITUDE FASTER TO LAND. WHEN THE STUDENT NOTICED MR. BUSKIRK AGAIN, HE SAW THAT MR. BUSKIRK'S ARMS WERE AT HIS SIDE AND THAT HIS HEAD WAS LAID BACK. AFTER MR. BUSKIRK IMPACTED THE GROUND, THE STUDENT RAN TO MR. BUSKIRK AND TRIED TO RENDER CPR WITH NO REACTION. FIRE DEPARTMENT AND PARMEDICS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE PRONOUNCING MR. BUSKIRK DECEASED. THERE WERE THREE JUMPERS ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT BESIDES MR. BUSKIRK. ALL WITNESSES SAID THAT MR. BUSKIRK WAS ACTING AND BEHAVING NORMALLY DURING THE ASCENT.