What happened
On June 21, 2008, at approximately 1700 central daylight time, a Beech 99, registration N99NN, was involved in an in-flight collision with a parachutist near Bowling Green, Missouri. The aircraft, operated by Skydive Factory Incorporated, had departed from Bowling Green Municipal Airport (H19) for a scheduled jump flight.
At the time of the accident, the aircraft was climbing to 6,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) at 115 knots. Two parachutists were preparing to exit the aircraft, while ten others were scheduled to exit at 14,000 feet MSL. Due to a non-functioning green jump light, the pilot had coordinated with the jumpers to use the verbal command "door" to signal readiness.
During the climb, the first parachutist exited the aircraft before the green light was illuminated. Upon entering the slipstream, this individual realized the aircraft was traveling faster than normal exit speeds and maneuvered away from the tail. However, a second parachutist exited the aircraft and struck the airplane's horizontal stabilizer. The parachutist did not deploy his parachute and sustained 1 fatal injury.
The investigation
Investigators determined that the pilot had not yet begun normal drop procedures, which include decelerating the aircraft, notifying air traffic control, and activating the green light. The horizontal stabilizer of the N99NN sustained substantial damage during the impact.
Witnesses stated the accident parachutist exited the aircraft prematurely. One witness noted that the parachutist had previously exited early on a different jump. Toxicology results from the deceased parachutist showed the presence of amphetamine and THC (marijuana) in various bodily fluids.