- Date
- June 8, 2004, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- La Belle, FL
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8304SCessna 182H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Fort Lauderdale
- FAA report
- 20040608033239A
- Case key
- 59418
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 inadvertent deployment of the main parachute resulting in damage to the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator.
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
The pilot stated that while the first parachutist was climbing out on the airplanes strut, her pilot chute got caught on a safety belt resulting in the inadvertent deployment of her main parachute, which streamed back over the right horizontal stabilizer. The parachutist went under as the main parachute went over the top of the stabilizer. The parachute lines damaged the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The parachutist cut the parachute line releasing her and the chute from the airplane. The incident parachutist landed uneventfully with her reserve parachute. The pilot made a normal landing at the departure airport after a slow descent from 10,000 feet.
Factual narrative
On June 8, 2004, about 1030 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182H, N8304S, registered to Fayard Enterprises, Inc., operated by Skydive SW Florida, incurred substantial damage from an inadvertently deployed skydiver's parachute, near La Belle, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 skydiving release flight. The commercial-rated pilot, and three parachutists reported no injuries. The flight had originated from the Sundance Farms Airport, La Belle, Florida shortly before the accident.
The pilot stated that while the first parachutist was climbing out on the airplanes strut, her pilot chute got caught on a safety belt resulting in the inadvertent deployment of her main parachute, which streamed back over the right horizontal stabilizer. The parachutist went under as the main parachute went over the top of the stabilizer. The parachute lines damaged the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The parachutist cut the parachute line releasing her and the chute from the airplane. The pilot immediately told the other two parachutists to leave the airplane and he notified air traffic control of his situation. The incident parachutist landed uneventfully with her reserve parachute. The pilot made a normal landing at the departure airport after a slow descent from 10,000 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8304S
- Reported as
- Cessna 182H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18256404
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Skydive SW Florida
- Registered owner
- Fayard Enterprises Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 22, 2003
- Departed
- FD20 · La Belle, FL
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 2, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 10,500 total · 600 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- RSW
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 N8304S · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.