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20151017021779I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Dehavilland DHC-6-200 · Sebastian, FL · October 17, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 17, 2015 · 11:19 local
Place
Sebastian, FL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Parachute jumping (Part 105)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N10EA
Reported as
Dehavilland DHC-6-200
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard
0
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
N10EARegistered now · Dehavilland DHC-6-200S/N 199Airframe modelDehavilland DHC-6-200Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesTurbo-prop

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.

A practice parachute jump was being conducted from 6000 feet for an upcoming demonstration "flag" jump.

All skydivers exited normally, but the second skydiver that exited, carrying the "flag" rig was observed to enter a rapid spin after he deployed his main chute. Eyewitnesses in the air and on the ground reported seeing him spin at least 20 times in a horizontal attitude.

At an estimated 500 feet AGL, the main chute was seen to separate from the skydiver, but the reserve chute was never deployed. The skydiver fell to earth about 160 yards outside the airport boundary fence, towards the southwest. He sustained fatal injuries.

When the rig was examined and photographed at the incident site, the reserve parachute d-ring was found to be entrapped in one of the spring-loaded, non-locking carabiners that held the flag pack on the victim. However, there was a video taken of the skydivers exiting the aircraft, which clearly showed the same d-ring as unobstructed during exit, and properly available for use. Injuries would suggest that the skydiver impacted in a face-down attitude, on top of the d-ring and carabiner, which could have caused the entanglement, or possibly the entanglement occurred during the abnormal gyrations on the way down.

As the FAA filed it

A PRACTICE PARACHUTE JUMP WAS BEING CONDUCTED FROM 6000 FEET FOR AN UPCOMING DEMONSTRATION "FLAG" JUMP.

ALL SKYDIVERS EXITED NORMALLY, BUT THE SECOND SKYDIVER THAT EXITED, CARRYING THE "FLAG" RIG WAS OBSERVED TO ENTER A RAPID SPIN AFTER HE DEPLOYED HIS MAIN CHUTE. EYEWITNESSES IN THE AIR AND ON THE GROUND REPORTED SEEING HIM SPIN AT LEAST 20 TIMES IN A HORIZONTAL ATTITUDE.

AT AN ESTIMATED 500 FEET AGL, THE MAIN CHUTE WAS SEEN TO SEPARATE FROM THE SKYDIVER, BUT THE RESERVE CHUTE WAS NEVER DEPLOYED. THE SKYDIVER FELL TO EARTH ABOUT 160 YARDS OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY FENCE, TOWARDS THE SOUTHWEST. HE SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.

WHEN THE RIG WAS EXAMINED AND PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE INCIDENT SITE, THE RESERVE PARACHUTE D-RING WAS FOUND TO BE ENTRAPPED IN ONE OF THE SPRING-LOADED, NON-LOCKING CARABINERS THAT HELD THE FLAG PACK ON THE VICTIM. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A VIDEO TAKEN OF THE SKYDIVERS EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH CLEARLY SHOWED THE SAME D-RING AS UNOBSTRUCTED DURING EXIT, AND PROPERLY AVAILABLE FOR USE. INJURIES WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE SKYDIVER IMPACTED IN A FACE-DOWN ATTITUDE, ON TOP OF THE D-RING AND CARABINER, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENTANGLEMENT, OR POSSIBLY THE ENTANGLEMENT OCCURRED DURING THE ABNORMAL GYRATIONS ON THE WAY DOWN.

Other reports on N10EA · 6

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20160213002679IArecibo, PROn February 13, 2016 at 14:00 UCT/10:00 local time. Mr. Gary farracane was fatally injured in a voluntary parachute jumping incident. He was participating in the 14th annual puerto rico parachute freefall festival, at Antonio Juarbe Airport (abo), Arecibo…Feb 13, 2016 · No damage · 1 fatalIncident 20120330004359ICruise/Level Flight · Sebastian, FLWitnesses stated that the skydiver came in to low and fast. They further stated that his feet hit the edge of the ditch and he tumbled to the ground. He had severe trauma to the head and a broken leg. [privacy data omitted] Was transported to holmes regional…Mar 30, 2012 · No damage · 1 fatalIncident 20011118034949IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Delavan, WI(-23) PIC, nelson, stated that he has flown to lade Lawn airport several times and was aware of the FAA NOTAM stating only the west side runway lightswere operating. However he lined up for landing on runway 18 with the runway lights on his left side. He was…Nov 18, 2001 · Minor damageIncident 20011014034939IParachute Jumping · Ottawa, IL(-23) On October 10, 2001, bruce a. greig [privacy data omitted] sustained fatal injuries from a skydiving incident at Skydive Chicago, Ottawa, IL. A witness on the ground observed that Mr. Greig's parachute inflated at a normal opening altitude and…Oct 14, 2001 · 1 fatalIncident 20011006030179IParachute Jumping · Ottawa, IL(-23) On October 6, 2001, steven a. smith, (dob 11/18/1956) and deborah a. luhmann, (dob 03/27/1974) sustained fatal injuries from a skydiving incident at skydive chicago, Ottawa, IL. Both persons were a part of a ten person team that was practicing for a…Oct 6, 2001 · 2 fatalIncident 20010530030169IOther Ground Ops · Ottawa, IL(-23) Passenger lost hat through open window in cockpit. He exited aircraft to retrieve hat. Although engines had been shut down, propellers were still windmilling. Passenger walked into windmilling propeller. Subsequently, he required several stitches to…May 30, 2001 · Minor damage