20060422005109I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Amtr T-18 · Longmont, CO · April 22, 2006

Date: April 22, 2006 · 11:00 local
Place: Longmont, CO
Airport: Vance Brand Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N11DC
Reported as: Amtr T18
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,880 total1,300 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N11DCRegistered now · Thorp T-18S/N 31 Airframe modelThorp T-18 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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) While on a pleasure flight, the pilot and sole occupant of a homebuilt aircraft encountered minor damage to the top of the right wing after being hit by a free falling "free bag" from a parachute. The aircraft was at approximately 20FT AGL when the incident occurred. The skydiver who released the main chute after encountering problems was forced to engage the reserve chute. The "free bag" which struck the aircraft is part of the reserve chute system and designed to fall free. Both the pilot and skydiver landed without further incident or injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT, THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF A HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE TOP OF THE RIGHT WING AFTER BEING HIT BY A FREE FALLING "FREE BAG" FROM A PARACHUTE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 20FT AGL WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE SKYDIVER WHO RELEASED THE MAIN CHUTE AFTER ENCOUNTERING PROBLEMS WAS FORCED TO ENGAGE THE RESERVE CHUTE. THE "FREE BAG" WHICH STRUCK THE AIRCRAFT IS PART OF THE RESERVE CHUTE SYSTEM AND DESIGNED TO FALL FREE. BOTH THE PILOT AND SKYDIVER LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT OR INJURIES.