Summary
On August 22, 2006, a Beech 99 (N205TC) was involved in an accident near Lodi, CA. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, with 13 people uninjured out of 14 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The failure of the skydiver to correctly follow procedures and directives on exiting the airplane properly, which resulted in his collision with the horizontal stabilizer.
On August 22, 2006, at 1200 Pacific daylight time, a Beech 99 airplane, N205TC, was substantially damaged when a skydiver impacted the horizontal stabilizer during a skydiving jump near Lodi, California. The pilot and 12 other skydivers were not injured; the skydiver that impacted the horizontal stabilizer sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated by Parachute Center. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 skydiving flight. The local flight originated from the Lodi Airport at an unknown time.
According to statements from the operator and three other skydivers, the skydiver jumped up when he exited the airplane exposing himself to the propeller blast, which drove him aft to the horizontal stabilizer.
This accident is documented in NTSB report LAX06CA285. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N205TC.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the failure of the skydiver to correctly follow procedures and directives on exiting the airplane properly, which resulted in his collision with the horizontal stabilizer.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On August 22, 2006, at 1200 Pacific daylight time, a Beech 99 airplane, N205TC, was substantially damaged when a skydiver impacted the horizontal stabilizer during a skydiving jump near Lodi, California. The pilot and 12 other skydivers were not injured; the skydiver that impacted the horizontal stabilizer sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated by Parachute Center. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 skydiving flight. The local flight originated from the Lodi Airport at an unknown time.
According to statements from the operator and three other skydivers, the skydiver jumped up when he exited the airplane exposing himself to the propeller blast, which drove him aft to the horizontal stabilizer. He hit the horizontal stabilizer and then fell from the leading edge. The skydiver was equipped with an emergency parachute deployment system, which opened his canopy.
According to the statements provided by the other skydivers, the accident skydiver jumped up in a similar manner the day before the accident flight. He was warned not to jump up when he exited the airplane as he barely missed the horizontal stabilizer the day before. In addition, the skydivers were instructed to stay low and not to jump out of the door just moments before the accident skydiver jumped out.
The skydiver had accumulated about 200 jumps, most of which were out of the accident airplane.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX06CA285