What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
From the pilots own statement: the pilot was conducting his sixth jumper load of the day, having flown a total of 2.5 hours. The aircraft was refueled every 1.2 hours, typically after every other jumper load, making this flight scheduled just before the next refueling.
At approximately 8000 feet MSL, the pilot began to experience shortness of breath. This symptom was initially dismissed as a lingering effect of a recent illness, as the pilot had encountered similar symptoms the previous week while flying a Cessna caravan for the same operations at 14,500 feet MSL.
Upon reaching 9,500 feet MSL, the pilot's symptoms worsened, including clamminess, nausea, and rapid vision loss. Recognizing the severity of the situation, the pilot issued an immediate bailout command to the four jumpers on board. His last conscious memory involved the door opening and making a radio call to bradley approach to report the situation.
The pilot reported losing consciousness as the aircraft entered a dive and did not recall the jumpers exiting the aircraft. He began to regain partial consciousness at approximately 8000 feet MSL. During the descent, the pilot only recalled using the altimeter for ground clearance and an ipad for heading and direction, as these were the only instruments visible to him at the time due to his reported tunnle vision.
The pilot does not remember the specifics of the landing, including the touchdown location. The aircraft landed on runway 19, which is not visible from the parachute loading zone, positioned at the approach end of runway 1. After turning off the runway near the parachute loading zone and coming to a complete stop, the pilot identified his location. He then pulled the mixture control and exited the aircraft through the open jumper/cargo door.
The pilot was driven to the local hospital by a member of the parachute club.
As the FAA filed it
FROM THE PILOTS OWN STATEMENT: THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING HIS SIXTH JUMPER LOAD OF THE DAY, HAVING FLOWN A TOTAL OF 2.5 HOURS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REFUELED EVERY 1.2 HOURS, TYPICALLY AFTER EVERY OTHER JUMPER LOAD, MAKING THIS FLIGHT SCHEDULED JUST BEFORE THE NEXT REFUELING.
AT APPROXIMATELY 8000 FEET MSL, THE PILOT BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE SHORTNESS OF BREATH. THIS SYMPTOM WAS INITIALLY DISMISSED AS A LINGERING EFFECT OF A RECENT ILLNESS, AS THE PILOT HAD ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR SYMPTOMS THE PREVIOUS WEEK WHILE FLYING A CESSNA CARAVAN FOR THE SAME OPERATIONS AT 14,500 FEET MSL.
UPON REACHING 9,500 FEET MSL, THE PILOT'S SYMPTOMS WORSENED, INCLUDING CLAMMINESS, NAUSEA, AND RAPID VISION LOSS. RECOGNIZING THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION, THE PILOT ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE BAILOUT COMMAND TO THE FOUR JUMPERS ON BOARD. HIS LAST CONSCIOUS MEMORY INVOLVED THE DOOR OPENING AND MAKING A RADIO CALL TO BRADLEY APPROACH TO REPORT THE SITUATION.
THE PILOT REPORTED LOSING CONSCIOUSNESS AS THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A DIVE AND DID NOT RECALL THE JUMPERS EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. HE BEGAN TO REGAIN PARTIAL CONSCIOUSNESS AT APPROXIMATELY 8000 FEET MSL. DURING THE DESCENT, THE PILOT ONLY RECALLED USING THE ALTIMETER FOR GROUND CLEARANCE AND AN IPAD FOR HEADING AND DIRECTION, AS THESE WERE THE ONLY INSTRUMENTS VISIBLE TO HIM AT THE TIME DUE TO HIS REPORTED TUNNLE VISION.
THE PILOT DOES NOT REMEMBER THE SPECIFICS OF THE LANDING, INCLUDING THE TOUCHDOWN LOCATION. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 19, WHICH IS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE PARACHUTE LOADING ZONE, POSITIONED AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 1. AFTER TURNING OFF THE RUNWAY NEAR THE PARACHUTE LOADING ZONE AND COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE PILOT IDENTIFIED HIS LOCATION. HE THEN PULLED THE MIXTURE CONTROL AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE OPEN JUMPER/CARGO DOOR.
THE PILOT WAS DRIVEN TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL BY A MEMBER OF THE PARACHUTE CLUB.