Incident Overview
On June 21, 2008, at approximately 1700 central daylight time, an in-flight collision occurred involving a twin-engine Beech 99, registration N99NN, and a parachutist. The incident took place near Bowling Green Municipal Airport (H19) in Missouri. The aircraft was owned and operated by Skydive Factory Incorporated. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the Part 91 parachute operation.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported climbing to 6,000 feet mean sea level at 115 knots while lining up for the first of two planned drops. The aircraft door had been opened to cool the passenger compartment. Because the red light was inoperative, the pilot used the verbal command "door" to signal readiness. Two parachutists were waiting by the open door. One exited early and maneuvered away from the tail. The second parachutist, who did not deploy a parachute, arched into an "X" position and struck the horizontal stabilizer.
Pilot Actions and Procedures
The pilot felt an impact while inbound on a 130-degree heading, approximately 0.6 to 0.75 nautical miles from the drop point. He aborted the flight, performed a controllability check, and landed safely. The pilot stated he had not initiated normal drop procedures, which include deceleration, ATC notification, and selecting the green light. He noted that he does not permit exits prior to ATC coordination or the green light signal.
Victim Details and Toxicology
The parachutist was fatally injured by blunt force trauma from a fall from great height. He was not wearing a helmet or an automated activation device (AAD). Forensic toxicology performed by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected amphetamine in the liver, ibuprofen in the blood, and various forms of tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana) in blood, kidney, lung, and liver specimens. The laboratory noted that the blood was putrefied and unsuitable for further amphetamine analysis.