# Accident 20140614009529A: Cessna 182A, Valmeyer, IL, June 14, 2014

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 14, 2014, 14:10 local time
- Place: Valmeyer, IL
- Airport: Festus Memorial Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.2531° N, 90.3183° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.2531&lon=-90.3183&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5172D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5172D-2017-10-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 182A (registry code 2072704, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 182A
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR O-470-L
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 215 total, 4 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN14CA289](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14CA289) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140614009529A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DURING NORMAL CRUISE FLIGHT, WHILE PERFOMING SKYDIVER DROPS, THE PILOT EXPERIENCE A ?LURCH? IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE EXIT OF HIS LAST OF FOUR JUMPERS. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ABILITY TO PITCH THE AIRCRAFT UP OR GAIN ALTITUDE. AT FULL POWER, THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, BUT HAD NO ABILITY TO INCREASE ALTITUDE, FLARE, OR MANUEVER.

ANOTHER AIRCRAFT (N3927D) WAS DISPATCHED TO EVALUATE THE AIRCRAFT IN-FLIGHT. BOTH WITNESSES DESCRIBED A ?PILOT CHUTE? ENTANGLED WITH THE RH HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND THAT THIS CONTROL SURFACE WAS DAMAGED AND BENT UPWARD IN AN ABMORMAL POSITION. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE RESERVE PILOT CHUTE, BRIDLE, AND FREE-BAG WERE NOT RECOVERED.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT?S STATEMENT, HE DETERMINED THAT AN ATTEMPT TO PERFORM A NORMAL LANDING WOULD BE TOO DANGEROUS. THE PILOT CHOSE A POSITION TO DITCH THE AIRCRAFT EAST OF HIS POSITION, IN ILLINOIS FARMLAND. HE POSITIONED HIMSELF AT THE DOOR AND LEFT THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 2500MSL, UTILIZING HIS EMERGENCY CHUTE TO LAND SAFELY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

THE SKYDIVER WHO?S EQUIPMENT MADE CONTACT WITH THE AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HAD 858 JUMPS, AVERAGING APPROXIMATELY 50 JUMPS PER YEAR. HIS EQUIPMENT WAS A RELATIVE WORKSHOP VECTOR II (V5) HARNESS CONTAINER ASSEMBLY (MFG 8/1990) AND A PERFORMANCE DESIGN PD176R RESERVE PARACHUTE (MFG 2/1990). HE ALSO UTILIZED A VIGIL II AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE (MFG 2/2012).

THERE IS EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST, WHILE EXECUTING HIS EXIT MANUEVER FROM THE AIRCRAFT STRUT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PUSHED HIS CONTAINER UPWARD INTO THE FLYING DOOR OF THE AIRCRAFT, CAUSING THE RESERVE PIN TO DISLODGE. THIS ACTION ALLOWED THE RESERVE CHUTE TO ?SPRING? INTO THE AIRSTREAM ABOVE THE AIRCRAFT RH STABILIZER. THE RESERVE CANOPY WAS EXAMINED AND THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT TEAR IN THE MATERIAL WHICH INDICATES THAT NOT ONLY THE RESERVE PILOT CHUTE, BRIDLE AND FREE-BAG, BUT ALSO THE RESERVE CANOPY ITSELF MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTACT WITH THE CONTROL SURFACE TO CAUSE THE RESULTANT DAMAGE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN14CA289](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14CA289), Jun 14, 2014: Cessna 182A (N5172D), Valmeyer, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inadvertent deployment of the skydiver's drogue chute when he exited the airplane, resulting in it contacting and damaging the horizontal stabilizer.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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