What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 21, 2026, between approximately 1255 and 1303 MST (1955Z–2003Z), a parachutist employed by privacy data omitted was conducting video recording operations during a tandem jump event. The group exited aircraft privacy data omitted at approximately 13,200 feet MSL.
Video review indicated normal jump operations until the parachutist deployed her main parachute. The parachutist was not wearing wings on her jumpsuit and appeared to deploy the main parachute normally while using her left hand to maintain stability. Following deployment, the main canopy initially remained stable before entering a right twisting motion, resulting in approximately five twists in the main harness near the control toggles.
The parachute system subsequently entered a severe right descending spin with the pilot chute remaining in tow. Approximately 17 seconds of uncontrolled descent occurred before activation of the automatic activation device (aad). Audio captured on the video indicated the aad alarms activated at approximately 6,000 feet and again near 5,400 feet.
While the main canopy remained attached, the reserve pilot chute deployed and became entangled with the main harness and helmet camera mount. Video review showed slack in the reserve lines consistent with the entanglement. The parachutist was able to free the reserve deployment bag from the entanglement while the system remained in a severe right spin.
After the reserve canopy deployed, the reserve system also experienced line twists and did not fully inflate. Approximately eight seconds later, the main canopy separated from the harness. The main canopy cutaway handle was not recovered.
Video from both the parachutist’s helmet camera and a bystander on the ground showed the reserve canopy remained partially twisted and the parachutist continued descending in a severe right spin. The parachutist was unable to clear the twists prior to ground impact.
The parachutist impacted terrain at coordinates 32.8091778 north latitude and -111.587986 west longitude. The parachutist was initially unconscious following impact and was located approximately one minute and twenty-two seconds later by a bystander. Video evidence indicated the parachutist was breathing and had a pulse when located. The parachutist regained consciousness approximately three minutes later. Emergency medical personnel arrived approximately six minutes and thirty-one seconds after impact.
Post-accident inspection of the parachute equipment by multiple riggers did not identify any abnormalities. The reserve parachute pack card confirmed the reserve chute had been packed by the parachutist. It was not determined whether the parachutist packed the main canopy.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 21, 2026, BETWEEN APPROXIMATELY 1255 AND 1303 MST (1955Z–2003Z), A PARACHUTIST EMPLOYED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS CONDUCTING VIDEO RECORDING OPERATIONS DURING A TANDEM JUMP EVENT. THE GROUP EXITED AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT APPROXIMATELY 13,200 FEET MSL.
VIDEO REVIEW INDICATED NORMAL JUMP OPERATIONS UNTIL THE PARACHUTIST DEPLOYED HER MAIN PARACHUTE. THE PARACHUTIST WAS NOT WEARING WINGS ON HER JUMPSUIT AND APPEARED TO DEPLOY THE MAIN PARACHUTE NORMALLY WHILE USING HER LEFT HAND TO MAINTAIN STABILITY. FOLLOWING DEPLOYMENT, THE MAIN CANOPY INITIALLY REMAINED STABLE BEFORE ENTERING A RIGHT TWISTING MOTION, RESULTING IN APPROXIMATELY FIVE TWISTS IN THE MAIN HARNESS NEAR THE CONTROL TOGGLES.
THE PARACHUTE SYSTEM SUBSEQUENTLY ENTERED A SEVERE RIGHT DESCENDING SPIN WITH THE PILOT CHUTE REMAINING IN TOW. APPROXIMATELY 17 SECONDS OF UNCONTROLLED DESCENT OCCURRED BEFORE ACTIVATION OF THE AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE (AAD). AUDIO CAPTURED ON THE VIDEO INDICATED THE AAD ALARMS ACTIVATED AT APPROXIMATELY 6,000 FEET AND AGAIN NEAR 5,400 FEET.
WHILE THE MAIN CANOPY REMAINED ATTACHED, THE RESERVE PILOT CHUTE DEPLOYED AND BECAME ENTANGLED WITH THE MAIN HARNESS AND HELMET CAMERA MOUNT. VIDEO REVIEW SHOWED SLACK IN THE RESERVE LINES CONSISTENT WITH THE ENTANGLEMENT. THE PARACHUTIST WAS ABLE TO FREE THE RESERVE DEPLOYMENT BAG FROM THE ENTANGLEMENT WHILE THE SYSTEM REMAINED IN A SEVERE RIGHT SPIN.
AFTER THE RESERVE CANOPY DEPLOYED, THE RESERVE SYSTEM ALSO EXPERIENCED LINE TWISTS AND DID NOT FULLY INFLATE. APPROXIMATELY EIGHT SECONDS LATER, THE MAIN CANOPY SEPARATED FROM THE HARNESS. THE MAIN CANOPY CUTAWAY HANDLE WAS NOT RECOVERED.
VIDEO FROM BOTH THE PARACHUTIST’S HELMET CAMERA AND A BYSTANDER ON THE GROUND SHOWED THE RESERVE CANOPY REMAINED PARTIALLY TWISTED AND THE PARACHUTIST CONTINUED DESCENDING IN A SEVERE RIGHT SPIN. THE PARACHUTIST WAS UNABLE TO CLEAR THE TWISTS PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT.
THE PARACHUTIST IMPACTED TERRAIN AT COORDINATES 32.8091778 NORTH LATITUDE AND -111.587986 WEST LONGITUDE. THE PARACHUTIST WAS INITIALLY UNCONSCIOUS FOLLOWING IMPACT AND WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE AND TWENTY-TWO SECONDS LATER BY A BYSTANDER. VIDEO EVIDENCE INDICATED THE PARACHUTIST WAS BREATHING AND HAD A PULSE WHEN LOCATED. THE PARACHUTIST REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS APPROXIMATELY THREE MINUTES LATER. EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL ARRIVED APPROXIMATELY SIX MINUTES AND THIRTY-ONE SECONDS AFTER IMPACT.
POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE PARACHUTE EQUIPMENT BY MULTIPLE RIGGERS DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY ABNORMALITIES. THE RESERVE PARACHUTE PACK CARD CONFIRMED THE RESERVE CHUTE HAD BEEN PACKED BY THE PARACHUTIST. IT WAS NOT DETERMINED WHETHER THE PARACHUTIST PACKED THE MAIN CANOPY.
Other reports on N204BD · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.