Beech 99 — Bowling Green, MO, 2008

Beech 99 — Bowling Green, MO

1 fatal High-time pilot

Date	June 21, 2008
Location	Bowling Green, MO
Aircraft	Beech 99
Purpose of flight	Skydiving
Conditions	Day · Visual Meteorological Cond
Phase / occurrence	Enroute-cruise Miscellaneous/other
Pilot age	58
Pilot total time	2,700 hrs · Experienced
Time in type	100 hrs
Fatalities	1

Probable cause

The parachutist's failure to follow procedures/directives by not waiting to jump until the green jump light was illuminated, resulting in his collision with the airplane's tail. Contributing to the accident was the parachutist's impairment by the use of marijuana prior to performing a parachute jump.

NTSB findings

Personnel issues-Task performance-Communication (personnel)-Following instructions-Passenger - C
Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Illicit drug-Passenger - F

What happened

The commercial pilot reported that he was en route to a parachutist jump zone on the first of two planned jumps. Prior to the first jump, before he had slowed the airplane, or illuminated the green jump light, indicating that the parachutists had permission to jump, two of the parachutists prematurely jumped. The first parachutist stated that as soon as he jumped, he realized that the airplane was going faster than normal, and he tucked into a ball, barely missing the horizontal stabilizer. According to the other parachutists still aboard, the second jumper exited, and struck the horizontal stabilizer with his head. He never opened his parachute. All of the other parachutists and the pilot stated that the green jump light was never turned on. Post-accident toxicology testing was consistent with impairment of the fatally injured parachutist by recent marijuana use.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.