Accident Overview
On June 26, 2016, about 1400 mountain daylight time, a Beech E-90 King Air, registration N92DV, was involved in an incident near Longmont, Colorado, when a skydiver struck the airplane during exit. The flight was operated by Mile Hi Skydiving Center, Inc. under 14 CFR Part 91 as a skydiving flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was receiving VFR flight following. The local flight originated from Vance Airport (LMO) about 1345.
Flight Sequence
The pilot reported normal loading and takeoff. The aircraft carried 15 skydivers, including one student. At 5,000 ft AGL, the pilot configured for a jump and activated the jump indication lights. A student and one other skydiver safely exited as "hop and pop" jumpers. The pilot then de-configured and climbed to the planned jump altitude. The pilot did not recall any jump lights illuminated during the climb, and no skydivers notified him otherwise. He continued climbing to 16,000 ft MSL, then to 17,500 ft MSL while maintaining full power. At about 12.2 nm from the intended GPS waypoint, the pilot activated the amber light, indicating skydivers could open the door to spot. Before reaching the jump location, the pilot felt flight control shake and a jolt, then heard a thud. He saw three skydivers had exited and three more were exiting. He switched the lights to red and instructed the remaining skydivers to stay. The remaining skydivers reported someone hit the tail. The pilot landed at LMO.
The injured skydiver and two others reported that the amber jump light remained on after the hop and pop and was not turned off as expected. One skydiver informed a senior skydiver, but the senior was not concerned. No one notified the pilot. When the airplane reached 12,000 ft MSL, the light turned green, and a Mile Hi employee opened the door. Two skydivers climbed out and held on, while a third remained in the doorway. They noted airspeed seemed faster than normal. On the third leg swing, they jumped and tumbled immediately. One skydiver struck the left horizontal stabilizer, could not move his arms, and descended until his automatic activation device deployed his parachute. He was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot and 14 skydivers were not injured. One skydiver sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer, as reported by the FAA inspector.
Personnel Information
The pilot received initial training on the accident airplane from April 21, 2016 to June 11, 2016, consisting of 11 flights and 60.7 training hours. He passed the operator's initial flight competency and proficiency check on June 11, 2016.
Aircraft Information
The jump indication lights were controlled by a rotary switch on the cockpit pedestal. One light was on the pedestal and one next to the jump door. When off or red, no jump activities were permitted. Amber indicated the door could be opened to spot; green indicated safe to jump. The lights were viewable from anywhere unless blocked by a skydiver. If the green light was on but the airplane was not configured for a safe jump, skydivers were to climb back inside.
Additional Observations
A skydiver who exited in the group after the injured skydiver provided a video showing the flaps partially extended at the time of the video.
FAA Advisory Circular 105-2E addresses pilot responsibilities, including jump pilot training for tail strike avoidance and operational requirements for the pilot in command to ensure briefings on tail strike procedures.