# Incident 20220731013749I: Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER, Longmont, CO, July 31, 2022

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 31, 2022, 17:55 local time
- Place: Longmont, CO
- Airport: Vance Brand Airport
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
- Location: 40.1644° N, 105.1636° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at VANCE BRAND (LMO), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1644&lon=-105.1636&mi=10
- Aircraft: N125PM, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N125PM) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER (registry code 2802606, https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-6-twin-otter) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: U/A Canada PT6 SER 578HP (registry code 61501, https://openairdocs.org/engine/u-a-canada-pt6-ser-578hp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DEHAVILLAND DHC-6 TWIN OTTER
- People aboard: 0
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220731013749I

## Narrative

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

ON JULY 31, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 17:55 MDT, A SKYDIVER USING A HIGH PERFORMANCE PARACHUTE IMPACTED THE GROUND WHILE PERFORMING A HIGH-SPEED MANUEVER KNOW AS SWOOPING. THE SKYDIVER WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE JUMPER?S GOPRO VIDEO/AUDIO FOOTAGE, THE JUMPER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 4000-5000? AGL AND IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED THE MAIN PARACHUTE. THE PARACHUTE APPEARED TO INFLATE NORMALLY AND NO DAMAGE OR MALFUNCTIONS WERE VISIBLE. THE JUMPER QUICKLY BEGAN MANEUVERING THE PARACHUTE AND PERFORMED A SERIES BRAKING MANEUVERS FOLLOWED BY HIGH-SPEED DIVES FOLLOWED BY SWOOPING TURNS. AUDIO INDICATES THAT THE JUMPER VOCALIZED TIMING QUES WHILE MANIPULATING PARACHUTE CONTROLS. ACCORDING TO FOOTAGE OF THE LANDING DESCENT CAPTURED BY AIRPORT CAMERA, THE PARACHUTE ENTERED A HI-SPEED DIVE FROM APPROXIMATELY 300-250? AGL THEN SHARPLY LEVELED OFF AT 150-100? AGL AND APPEARED TO BRAKE. IT THEN IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A HARD LEFT ROLL. AT THAT POINT THE PARACHUTE AND JUMPER RAPIDLY DESCENDED UNTIL IMPACT. THE OWNER OF THE SKYDIVING CLUB SAID POST-INCIDENT EQUIPMENT INSPECTION INDICATES THAT THE HARNESS, SHROUD LINES AND CANOPY APPEARED TO BE INTACT AND FUNCTIONAL. HE SAID THE PARACHUTE WAS A HIGH-PERFORMANCE SQUARE MODEL WHICH IS USED BY EXPERIENCED SKYDIVERS TO PERFORM COMPLEX MANEUVERS. THE JUMPER HAD COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY 500 PARACHUTE JUMPS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE OWNER NOTED THAT 500 JUMPS IS RELATIVELY LOW EXPERIENCE FOR THIS MANUEVER. THE RESERVE PARACHUTE DATA CARD SHOWS INSPECTIONS ARE CURRENT.

## Other reports on N125PM (5)

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

- [Incident 20251116018719I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251116018719I), Nov 16, 2025: Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER (N125PM), Longmont, CO, No damage, 1 fatal. Skydiver deployed parachute at an unknown altitude. The parachute was deployed with a line-over/line twist entanglement. Witness observed the skydiver under a…
- [Incident 20190629008519I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190629008519I), Jun 29, 2019: Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER (N125PM), Longmont, CO, No damage, 1 fatal. Experienced parachute jumper executed a turn at low altitude from which he was unable to arrest his descent rate prior to landing. He was killed on impact with…
- [Accident 20010527019159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010527019159A), May 27, 2001: Dhav DHC6 (N125PM), Fentress, TX, No damage. (-23) A skydiver was struck by the prop of a de havilland DHC-6 after jumping from a king air C-90 during a formation jump. The pilot of the king air stated…
- [Incident 19850929070689I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850929070689I), Sep 29, 1985: Dhav DHC6TWNOTTER (N125PM), New Haven, CT. Aircraft proceeded across runway after holding for landing traffic without clearance. ATC tapes not available.
- [Incident 19810306024419I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810306024419I), Mar 6, 1981: Dhav DHC6TWNOTTER (N125PM), Jamaica, NY, Minor damage. Wingtip struck stairs in ramp area. Taxiway markings poorly marked.

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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