N8304S

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.