Undetermined · NTSB ERA09LA435
BEECH B90 — West Point, VA
| Date | August 1, 2009 |
| Location | West Point, VA |
| Aircraft | BEECH B90 |
| Purpose of flight | Skydiving |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Enroute-cruise Miscellaneous/other |
| Pilot age | 31 |
| Pilot total time | 4,430 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 11 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
The inadvertent deployment of the instructor's reserve parachute.
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action selection-Passenger - C
What happened
During a skydiving flight at approximately 14,000 feet, an instructor positioned himself at the door opening with his jump student nearby. The student inadvertently pulled the instructor's reserve parachute D-ring, deploying the chute and pulling the instructor out of the airplane. The instructor contacted the left horizontal stabilizer then descended toward the ground coming to rest suspended in a tree by his parachute.