20190908010169I

On September 8, 2019, paragon skydiving experienced a fatal incident to a passenger as a result of a hard landing during a tandem parachute skydiving operation at grand canyon national park airport (kgcn).

At 0925 mountain standard time (MST), a Cessna 206 (N29011) operated by paragon skydive under 14 CFR part 91 departed kgcn with a pilot, two instructor para-pilots (ip) and two passengers. At approximately 0943 MST, the two ip?s and their two tandem attached passengers departed the aircraft at an altitude of 15,500 feet mean sea level (MSL). In a written statement from the incident involved ip, the freefall was uneventful and the main parachute canopy opened without incident.

The ip stated that turbulence was noted immediately during the decent. The ip stated that due to strong winds from the south he deliberately remained upwind of the designated landing zone. The ip stated that he noted an abnormal decent rate as he attempted to approach the landing zone. It was at this time that he stated that knew he would not make the landing zone and initiated a 180 degree hook turn into the wind.

The ip stated that during the attempted turn from an altitude 50-75 feet above ground level (AGL) the toggle controls for the canopy became ineffective and the decent rate increased rapidly. The ip stated that he knew a crash landing was evident and attempted to position himself and his passenger on their side to avoid a direct contact with the ground.

At approximately 0948 MST, the ip and his 55 year old male passenger, a national from the united kingdom, contacted an open level area between the runway/taxiway environment and the east perimeter fence boundary of grand canyon national park airport (kgcn) in an uncontrolled hard landing. The injuries sustained by the ip consisted of a left broken leg and several broken ribs. The ip was conscious and responsive when the four witnesses on the ground approached, but has little memory of the impact. The ip?s passenger sustained a crushed rib cage and several broken ribs as a result of the impact was un-responsive. The passenger later succumbed to his injuries on-scene.

The incident was witnessed by four people on the ground and the other ip that was participating in the parachute jump. None of the witnesses noticed the involved parachute canopy collapse prior to impact. None of the witnesses were photographing or filming the landing. The recovered gopro camera and media card from the involved ip?s helmet was turned off upon the main parachute canopy opening and did not contain the landing sequence.

The second ip and his passenger landed after the accident and within the designated landing zone without incident.

Weather reported at the time of the incident was:

1650Z 19015G27 10SM clr 21/06 A3010 rmk pk wnd 20029/1608

On September 26, 2019, the parachute canopy, reserve parachute and containment pack was examined at the coconino county sheriff?s office evidence facility in flagstaff, Arizona. The main parachute was a model icarus TX-2 that was contained in a wonderhog dual containment pack manufactured by micro sigma (s/n: 62471) with an inspection date of July 22, 2015 and approved under FAA TSO-C23B NAS-804. The main parachute canopy exhibited no evidence of damage. The pack harnesses and attached hardware was intact. Some of the control lines were cut by the first responders to extract the victims from the equipment.

Further reports, photos, and witness statements from the county sheriff?s office and coconino county medical examiner have been requested.