Accident Overview
A skydiving flight encountered a serious incident when a jumper's reserve parachute deployed prematurely. The flight was in level cruise, with three of the four jumpers positioned on the step ready to jump. The reserve parachute of one jumper accidentally deployed and was sucked forward over the right wing leading edge, pulling the jumper forward and over the wing. During this sequence, the jumper hit their head on the wing leading edge, causing substantial damage to the internal wing structure. As the parachute deployed over the wing, the aircraft rolled inverted. The other jumpers exited and parachuted safely to the ground, and the pilot regained control of the aircraft.
Casualties and Damage
The parachutist whose reserve chute deployed was found fatally injured. The aircraft's internal wing structure sustained substantial damage.
Parachute Examination
A master parachute rigger, under the supervision of FAA airworthiness inspectors, examined the parachute involved in the accident. The rigger's report indicated that the automatic opening device (AOD) for the reserve parachute was found activated; however, no determination could be made about when the device triggered. No other anomaly in the parachute system was found.