# Incident 20250927013649I: Cessna U206D, Ellington, CT, September 27, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 27, 2025, 12:51 local time
- Place: Ellington, CT
- Airport: Ellington Airport
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.9254° N, 72.4571° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ELLINGTON (7B9), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.9254&lon=-72.4571&mi=10
- Aircraft: N69HZ, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N69HZ) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna U206D (registry code 2073342, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-u206d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA U206D
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO 550 F (20)
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 902 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250927013649I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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