What happened
After 14 jumpers exited the Cessna (registration not provided) at 13,5alon feet southwest of the airport, the pilot began a descent toward the northeast. While approaching the airport from the northeast, the aircraft flew over the field and initiated a left turn to enter the downwind leg for runway 23. During this maneuver, the pilot observed several parachutes both on the ground and in the air, including a tandem jumper to the southwest.
As the pilot executed the left turn, he experienced an impact and drag on the left wing after seeing a flash of colors. The pilot managed to bring the aircraft to the ground as quickly as possible. Radar data tracked the aircraft at approximately 1,300 feet MSL while approaching runway 5/23. During the left bank for the downwind leg, the altitude fluctuated between 900 and 800 feet MSL, with a final radar capture at 300 feet as it approached runway 23.
Video footage from a cinematographer jumping with the final tandem pair captured the event. The footage shows the tandem parachute deploying, followed by the cinematographer's deployment. At approximately 4 minutes and 59 seconds into the recording, an impact sound is heard, and the camera captures what appears to be an aircraft in close proximity banking away. The camera recorded until it impacted the ground.
Findings
An investigation revealed that the parachute landing zone was located on the airport adjacent to the left side of runway 30. A master tandem jumper noted that the pilot did not provide a briefing regarding which runway or approach would be used. While standard practice involves jumpers avoiding runways below 1,000 feet and maintaining a 300-foot buffer, there was no formal briefing provided for this flight due to the high volume of daily jumps.
Furthermore, the operator's representative stated that pilots are only given verbal guidance to follow FAA rules, leaving runway selection to their discretion. The acting airport manager confirmed there is no specific agreement between the skydive operator and the city regarding shared operations, only a lease agreement. While a voluntary noise abatement procedure exists, local pilots reported long-standing safety concerns regarding the skydive operator's approaches that had not been addressed by the city.