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| Date: | Saturday 15 December 1990 |
| Time: | 13:36 |
| Type: |  Beechcraft D50C Twin Bonanza |
| Owner/operator: | Snohomish Parachute Ctr |
| Registration: | N833Q |
| MSN: | DH-290 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1960 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming GO-480-G2D6 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 6 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Snohomish, WA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Parachuting |
| Departure airport: | Snohomish, WA (S43) |
| Snohomish, WA (S43) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
DURING A SKYDIVING OPERATION, THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWED TO SLOW CRUISE FLIGHT FOR A PARACHUTE JUMP. AS SKYDIVERS WERE MOVING TO THE EXIT DOOR FOR A GROUP JUMP, THE D-RING OF ONE SKYDIVER'S RESERVE PARACHUTE BECAME ENTANGLED ON A PROTRUDING CABIN DOOR SUPPORT BRACKET. THE RESERVE CHUTE DEPLOYED & WAS CAUGHT IN THE SLIP STREAM. THE SKYDIVER WAS THEN PULLED FROM THE OPEN DOOR. HE IMPACTED THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, FELL 4000 FT TO THE GROUND & WAS FATALLY INJURED. MOST OF THE RIGHT STABILIZER WAS TORN FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER ITS SEPARATION, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A DIVE & THE REMAINING SKYDIVERS JUMPED FROM THE PLANE. ONE OF THE OTHER SKYDIVERS WAS IN THE DOORWAY WHEN THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE BEGAN. HE HELD ONTO THE AIRCRAFT FOR A MOMENT AS IT SHUDDERED & STARTED TO DIVE, THEN 'LET GO.' DURING THE OCCURRENCE, HE RECEIVED A MINOR INJURY. THE PILOT REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT & MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT AN AIRPORT WITH A LONG RUNWAY. CAUSE: THE OBSTRUCTION (PROTRUDING DOOR SUPPORT BRACKET) IN THE DOORWAY OF THE AIRCRAFT; FAILURE OF THE COMPANY/OPERATOR PERSONNEL, THE PILOT, AND THE SKYDIVERS TO ASSURE THAT THE DOORWAY WAS CLEAR OF OBSTRUCTIONS; AND SUBSEQUENT SNAGGING OF THE D-RING, WHICH RESULTED IN INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE PASSENGER'S (SKYDIVER'S) RESERVE PARACHUTE.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001212X24824
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
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