Skydiving / Paratroopers

The single engine aircraft departed Casale Monferrato Airfield on a local skydiving flight. While in cruising altitude, all skydivers bailed out when the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed on a residential area in Casale Monferrato. The pilot, sole on board, was injured.

The twin engine airplane departed Pondok Cabe Airport on a local skydiving flight. Few minutes after takeoff, while climbing, one of the engine failed. The aircraft lost height and crashed in Serpong, about 11 km west of the airfield. All 10 occupants were killed.

The single engine aircraft departed Ampfing-Waldkraiburg Airfield for a local skydiving flight, carrying one pilot and nine skydivers. While the altitude of 3,500 meters was reached, the aircraft was over the target when a group of four skydivers bailed out. Few seconds later, while the second group was preparing to jump, the emergency parachute of a skydiver mistakenly opened while he was bailing out. The skydiver struck the right stabilizer that was torn off. The aircraft went out of control and the pilot was able to send a distress call before bailing out with the rest of the group. The aircraft crash landed in a field near Haun and was damaged beyond repair. All skydivers were found uninjured while the pilot was killed as his parachute failed to open.

As the pilot and 16 jumpers departed on a skydiving flight, the engine lost power at approximately 300 feet agl. The aircraft then banked steeply left, spiraled in a steep nose down attitude and crashed. An exam revealed fuel in the tanks was contaminated with water and foreign material with the appearance of brown algae. Milky fluid (approximately 65% jet fuel and 34% water) was found in the engine fuel control, as well as iron contaminants. Dark stringy material was found in the fuel filters. The aircraft had been refueled from 55 gallons drums which contained contaminated fuel. The drums were stored upright and rain water could leak thru the filler caps. N551CC had a history of fuel contamination which on occasions caused the fuel bypass indicator to display. Reportedly, the stall warning circuit breaker had been disengaged on other occasions, so as not to startle the jumpers; however, due to damage, its preimpact position could not be verified. Aircraft was estimated to be 370 lbs over its max weight limit and 1 foot forward of the cg limit. The nine pax seats had been removed to haul up to 18 jumpers. Pax seat belts were not used. Lack of FAA surveillance was noted. All 17 occupants were killed.

The aircraft's left engine caught fire during the takeoff roll. The pilot managed to stop the aircraft on the runway and all 31 skydivers and the two member crew evacuated without injury. The left engine propeller had lost one blade which was found several days later 3,000 feet west of the wreckage. There was no evidence found to substantiate compliance with a mandatory airworthiness directive on the propeller blade.

At a height of about 200 feet after take-off the right engine lost power. The pilot feathered the propeller and commenced a gentle left turn in order to return to the strip. He later advised that the aircraft began to sink towards some large trees and he was forced to increase the angle of bank in an effort to avoid them. Shortly afterwards the aircraft struck the ground heavily in an adjacent paddock about 1 kilometre from the strip.

The single engine aircraft departed Hokitika Airport on a local skydiving flight, carrying four skydivers and one pilot. The ripcord of the reserve parachute of one of the jumpers was snagged as he climbed out of the cockpit and the chute streamed and began to deploy. The jumper struck the tailplane as he was dragged aft, damaging it, and the Fletcher went out of control and dived into the ground. The remaining parachutists all escaped the crashing plane by the use of their parachutes but the pilot, who was not wearing a parachute, was killed in the crash. The jumper whose reserve had accidentally deployed suffered a head injury which rendered him unconscious briefly but landed safely.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. Crew fate unknown.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. Occupant fate unknown.

The aircraft took off on the first flight of the day with eight parachutists, and a reported fuel load of 70 US gallons. At an altitude of approximately 11,000 feet it was decided that the cloud cover at that time was obscuring the dropping zone to an unacceptable degree, and so the detail was cancelled. During the subsequent descent, on rolling out of a left turn at about 4,500 feet, a bang was heard, and the left aileron was seen to have become partially detached. After a violent lateral oscillation of the control column lasting a few seconds, the right aileron also became partially detached. At this stage the parachutists successfully abandoned the aircraft on the orders of the pilot. The aircraft then adopted an angle of bank to the right of approximately 45° despite the application of full left rudder. The descent was continued until the pilot realized that the aircraft was approaching the village of Yarwell; he therefore applied engine power to ensure that the aircraft would clear the houses. The bank angle then increased to 60° and the aircraft struck the ground right wing low, coming to rest upright, and facing the opposite direction. The pilot sustained minor injuries, and there was no fire.