# Incident 20260524004579I: Cessna 208, Ritzville, WA, May 24, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 24, 2026, 17:37 local time
- Place: Ritzville, WA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
- Location: 47.1230° N, 118.3753° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Ritzville, WA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.1230&lon=-118.3753&mi=10
- Aircraft: N801JA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N801JA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 208 (registry code 2073702, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-208) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52034, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 208
- 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/20260524004579I

## Narrative

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

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.

- [Incident 20140111002979I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140111002979I), Jan 11, 2014: Cessna 208 (N801JA), Mesquite, NV, No damage. On January 11, 2014 between 1300 and 1400 hours local, two (2) parachute jumpers initially collided between 100 to 200 feet AGL above the Mesquite municipal…

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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