Incident Description
A student jumper was in the process of exiting an aircraft and had positioned himself on the step in preparation for a parachute jump. At that moment, the pack tray opened prematurely, and the parachute canopy deployed beneath the tail. The canopy blossomed and pulled the jumper into the horizontal stabilizer. This contact caused a cut on the jumper's left shin.
Structural Damage
The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were affected. About 15 inches of the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were sheared off by the jumper. The remainder of the stabilizer from mid-span outward was crumpled and deformed.
Witness Statement
A witness, who had been involved with other premature parachute openings, reported that in those cases the parachute opened under the tail and the jumper went under the tail, clearing the aircraft structure. The witness stated that the only way this incident could have occurred (with the jumper hitting the stabilizer) was if the pilot had the yoke back and the tail low.