What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While conducting a military freefall parachute jump the jumpmaster was extracted from the aircraft because his reserve container prematurely opened while he was inside the aircraft. Part of the jumpers reserve canopy appears to have slipped out a 2 foot opening at the bottom of the aft cargo door. The canopy then inflated in the slipstream of the aircraft, and the jumper was pulled thru the opening along with all equipment that was attached to his harness.
The pilot of the aircraft stated that he was climbing thru 9000 AGL (approaching altitude for jump run) when he experienced several positive and negative pitch oscillations accompanied by several banging sounds. Once the pitching events stopped (and the aircraft was under his control) he looked back into the cabin area and observed the jumpers moving about the cabin. He called for them to take their seats several times. Once they were seated the closest jumper sitting behind the pilot informed him that he thought a jumper had departed the aircraft.
The pilot states that he contacted one of the company aircraft flying in the area and informed them that an incident had happened and requested they standby (their jump operations). He then turned the aircraft to the left (southerly direction) and located the jumper under an open canopy. He began orbiting the jumper and called ground crew to inform them the location of the jumper. It was after several orbits that the pilot noticed the jumper appeared to be unconscious with his head down and arms at his side.
Ground operations personnel observed the open canopy descending in a slow right turn and following down the wind line. There was no movement from the jumper and his head was down throughout the descent and landing. It was evident to ground personnel when they approached the jumper on the ground that he was dead.
During the jumpers descent the aircraft continued to orbit the jumper and direct ground personnel to the landing site. Once the jumper landed the pilot returned to the airport and landed without further incident.
Investigation of the aircraft determined that there was damage to the bottom of the aft cargo door located in the first 2 feet of the left inboard bottom of the door. The damage consisted of a 2-3 inch wide gash which extended from the bottom of the door web into the outboard door skin for approximately 1 foot.
Other than the damage listed above there was no other damage to the aircraft or its structure.
No injuries were sustained by any other personnel aboard the aircraft. No witness statements other than the pilot were available to this investigator.
No information is available to this investigator regarding the parachute equipment or the jumper.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE CONDUCTING A MILITARY FREEFALL PARACHUTE JUMP THE JUMPMASTER WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT BECAUSE HIS RESERVE CONTAINER PREMATURELY OPENED WHILE HE WAS INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT. PART OF THE JUMPERS RESERVE CANOPY APPEARS TO HAVE SLIPPED OUT A 2 FOOT OPENING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE AFT CARGO DOOR. THE CANOPY THEN INFLATED IN THE SLIPSTREAM OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE JUMPER WAS PULLED THRU THE OPENING ALONG WITH ALL EQUIPMENT THAT WAS ATTACHED TO HIS HARNESS.
THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT STATED THAT HE WAS CLIMBING THRU 9000 AGL (APPROACHING ALTITUDE FOR JUMP RUN) WHEN HE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PITCH OSCILLATIONS ACCOMPANIED BY SEVERAL BANGING SOUNDS. ONCE THE PITCHING EVENTS STOPPED (AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER HIS CONTROL) HE LOOKED BACK INTO THE CABIN AREA AND OBSERVED THE JUMPERS MOVING ABOUT THE CABIN. HE CALLED FOR THEM TO TAKE THEIR SEATS SEVERAL TIMES. ONCE THEY WERE SEATED THE CLOSEST JUMPER SITTING BEHIND THE PILOT INFORMED HIM THAT HE THOUGHT A JUMPER HAD DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT.
THE PILOT STATES THAT HE CONTACTED ONE OF THE COMPANY AIRCRAFT FLYING IN THE AREA AND INFORMED THEM THAT AN INCIDENT HAD HAPPENED AND REQUESTED THEY STANDBY (THEIR JUMP OPERATIONS). HE THEN TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT (SOUTHERLY DIRECTION) AND LOCATED THE JUMPER UNDER AN OPEN CANOPY. HE BEGAN ORBITING THE JUMPER AND CALLED GROUND CREW TO INFORM THEM THE LOCATION OF THE JUMPER. IT WAS AFTER SEVERAL ORBITS THAT THE PILOT NOTICED THE JUMPER APPEARED TO BE UNCONSCIOUS WITH HIS HEAD DOWN AND ARMS AT HIS SIDE.
GROUND OPERATIONS PERSONNEL OBSERVED THE OPEN CANOPY DESCENDING IN A SLOW RIGHT TURN AND FOLLOWING DOWN THE WIND LINE. THERE WAS NO MOVEMENT FROM THE JUMPER AND HIS HEAD WAS DOWN THROUGHOUT THE DESCENT AND LANDING. IT WAS EVIDENT TO GROUND PERSONNEL WHEN THEY APPROACHED THE JUMPER ON THE GROUND THAT HE WAS DEAD.
DURING THE JUMPERS DESCENT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ORBIT THE JUMPER AND DIRECT GROUND PERSONNEL TO THE LANDING SITE. ONCE THE JUMPER LANDED THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE AFT CARGO DOOR LOCATED IN THE FIRST 2 FEET OF THE LEFT INBOARD BOTTOM OF THE DOOR. THE DAMAGE CONSISTED OF A 2-3 INCH WIDE GASH WHICH EXTENDED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR WEB INTO THE OUTBOARD DOOR SKIN FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 FOOT.
OTHER THAN THE DAMAGE LISTED ABOVE THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR ITS STRUCTURE.
NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY ANY OTHER PERSONNEL ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT. NO WITNESS STATEMENTS OTHER THAN THE PILOT WERE AVAILABLE TO THIS INVESTIGATOR.
NO INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO THIS INVESTIGATOR REGARDING THE PARACHUTE EQUIPMENT OR THE JUMPER.