- Date
- July 23, 1995, 16:20 local (22:20 UTC)
- Place
- Belen, NM
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 17 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N926MAde Havilland DHC-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950723019249A
- Case key
- 19506
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The parachutist's failure to follow procedures on exiting the aircraft. A factor was the parachutist's incapacitation due to hitting his head on the doorway floor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During an attempted freestyle jump from 10,500 feet MSL, the parachutist gripped a bar in the airplane, then swung his legs outside and let go. During this attempted exit, the parachutist hit his head on the doorway floor. The parachutist did not turn 'face to earth,' so another parachutist attempted a rescue; however, he was unable to catch up. The injured parachutist did not deploy his parachute. The parachutist had accumulated 70 jumps prior to the accident, and he was not wearing a helmet.
Factual narrative
On July 23, 1995, at 1620 mountain daylight time, one parachutist was fatally injured during a parachute drop from a DeHavilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, N926MA, near Belen, New Mexico. The airplane was not damaged, and the commercial pilot and 16 parachutists were not injured. The airplane was being operated by Coronado Skydiving Center under Title 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
According to witnesses the parachutist was to execute a freestyle jump from 10,500 feet mean sea level (MSL). The parachutist stated to one witness that he "planned to grip the bar, then swing his legs outside and let go." During this attempted exit the parachutist hit his head on the doorway floor. The parachutist did not turn "face to Earth," so another parachutist attempted a rescue; however, he was unable to catch up. The injured parachutist did not deploy his parachute. The parachutist had accumulated 70 jumps prior to the accident, and he was not wearing a helmet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N926MA
- Reported as
- de Havilland DHC-6
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 168
- Engine
- P&W PT6-A-27, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Skydiving · Part 91
- Operator
- Coronado Skydiving Center
- Registered owner
- Larry Hill
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- E80
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,022 total · 2,100 in this make and model · 7,770 as pilot in command · 58 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N926MA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.