What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 05/24/2027 @ 17:37 PDT the west plains skydiving facility reported a mid-air collision between two jumpers with one serious injuries and one fatal. Per the eyewitness and jump zone owner stated, 11 jumpers departed the Cessna 208 caravan with all chutes opening around 3500' AGL. As the group started lining up to approach for landing at about 1000' AGL two jumpers collided. Both canopies stayed open. Jumper (1) (52 y/o) female was injured with leg femur fracture (serious) and jumper (2) (70 y/o) male with head and neck severe injury (fatal). Jumper (1) landed normal and transported to hospital by lifeflight. Jumper (2) canopy stayed open and drifted downwind impacting ground next to paved road north of the jump zone. Both parachute rigs inspected post accident with no discrepancies found or suspected on either rig. Jump zone safety standdown discussed with future topic of situational awareness (keeping your head on a swivel) during jumps in free fall and under canopy. Additionally having separate areas to land based on slower students to faster competitive areas for the more experienced jumpers.
As the FAA filed it
ON 05/24/2027 @ 17:37 PDT THE WEST PLAINS SKYDIVING FACILITY REPORTED A MID-AIR COLLISION BETWEEN TWO JUMPERS WITH ONE SERIOUS INJURIES AND ONE FATAL. PER THE EYEWITNESS AND JUMP ZONE OWNER STATED, 11 JUMPERS DEPARTED THE CESSNA 208 CARAVAN WITH ALL CHUTES OPENING AROUND 3500' AGL. AS THE GROUP STARTED LINING UP TO APPROACH FOR LANDING AT ABOUT 1000' AGL TWO JUMPERS COLLIDED. BOTH CANOPIES STAYED OPEN. JUMPER (1) (52 Y/O) FEMALE WAS INJURED WITH LEG FEMUR FRACTURE (SERIOUS) AND JUMPER (2) (70 Y/O) MALE WITH HEAD AND NECK SEVERE INJURY (FATAL). JUMPER (1) LANDED NORMAL AND TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL BY LIFEFLIGHT. JUMPER (2) CANOPY STAYED OPEN AND DRIFTED DOWNWIND IMPACTING GROUND NEXT TO PAVED ROAD NORTH OF THE JUMP ZONE. BOTH PARACHUTE RIGS INSPECTED POST ACCIDENT WITH NO DISCREPANCIES FOUND OR SUSPECTED ON EITHER RIG. JUMP ZONE SAFETY STANDDOWN DISCUSSED WITH FUTURE TOPIC OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS (KEEPING YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL) DURING JUMPS IN FREE FALL AND UNDER CANOPY. ADDITIONALLY HAVING SEPARATE AREAS TO LAND BASED ON SLOWER STUDENTS TO FASTER COMPETITIVE AREAS FOR THE MORE EXPERIENCED JUMPERS.
Other reports on N801JA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.