What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The skydiver exited the aircraft at 5000 ft. above ground level (AGL) without any problems. After a short free fall, the skydiver opened his main parachute and began setting himself up for his landing pattern. Witnesses stated that the jumper was heading in a southerly direction at an estimated 250 ft. AGL or less when he began a left front riser turn until he was facing a northwesterly direction. It was unclear if the turn was a combination of turns or one complete turn of approximately 250 degrees as witness reports vary. The winds on the ground at the time were from the north northwest at 6 to 8 mph. As the jumper began his left hand turn, he faced power lines that border the east side of the landing area. The jumper may have decided that he needed to continue the turn in order to avoid the power lines. The jumper was observed making an attempt to slow the descent of the parachute by pulling down on the brakes in the final phases of the landing. The jumper's canopy was observed to be level but still in the recovery phase of flight when the jumper impacted the ground. The jumper struck the ground hard and continued with forward momentum another 60 feet before he came to a stop.
As the FAA filed it
THE SKYDIVER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AT 5000 FT. ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. AFTER A SHORT FREE FALL, THE SKYDIVER OPENED HIS MAIN PARACHUTE AND BEGAN SETTING HIMSELF UP FOR HIS LANDING PATTERN. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE JUMPER WAS HEADING IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION AT AN ESTIMATED 250 FT. AGL OR LESS WHEN HE BEGAN A LEFT FRONT RISER TURN UNTIL HE WAS FACING A NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION. IT WAS UNCLEAR IF THE TURN WAS A COMBINATION OF TURNS OR ONE COMPLETE TURN OF APPROXIMATELY 250 DEGREES AS WITNESS REPORTS VARY. THE WINDS ON THE GROUND AT THE TIME WERE FROM THE NORTH NORTHWEST AT 6 TO 8 MPH. AS THE JUMPER BEGAN HIS LEFT HAND TURN, HE FACED POWER LINES THAT BORDER THE EAST SIDE OF THE LANDING AREA. THE JUMPER MAY HAVE DECIDED THAT HE NEEDED TO CONTINUE THE TURN IN ORDER TO AVOID THE POWER LINES. THE JUMPER WAS OBSERVED MAKING AN ATTEMPT TO SLOW THE DESCENT OF THE PARACHUTE BY PULLING DOWN ON THE BRAKES IN THE FINAL PHASES OF THE LANDING. THE JUMPER'S CANOPY WAS OBSERVED TO BE LEVEL BUT STILL IN THE RECOVERY PHASE OF FLIGHT WHEN THE JUMPER IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE JUMPER STRUCK THE GROUND HARD AND CONTINUED WITH FORWARD MOMENTUM ANOTHER 60 FEET BEFORE HE CAME TO A STOP.
Other reports on N71560 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.