History of the Flight
The pilot of a Cessna 208 (registration F-HVPC) operated by École de Parachutisme Sportif de Vannes Bretagne (EPSVB) took off for a parachute drop flight on 1 August 2024. The flight was planned with jumps at 1,200 m and 4,000 m. During the climb, at approximately 450 m, a skydiver seated on the floor next to the door opened the door slightly to ventilate the cabin due to high temperatures. The skydiver's pilot chute, partially protruding from its pouch, was caught by the airflow. This caused the main container to open, the deployment bag to be extracted, and the main canopy to deploy outside the aircraft, under the left horizontal stabilizer. The aerodynamic forces pulled the skydiver backward through the door slats. The right set of risers caught on the door frame, separated from the harness, and triggered the deployment of the reserve canopy. The reserve canopy rubbed against the left horizontal stabilizer without snagging. The skydiver sustained a leg injury during the ejection and landed under the reserve canopy while the main canopy remained attached. The pilot heard an abnormal noise and felt vibrations, then landed safely.
Damage Observed
The aircraft sustained damage to the three lower slats of the vertical sliding door, deformation of the skin at the rear door jamb, and rub marks on the leading edge and lower surface of the left horizontal stabilizer. The parachute showed a severed textile loop on the right riser group, and the reserve canopy had rub marks, burns, and tears on its leading edge and right tip.
Parachute Information
The parachute system consisted of a Javelin Odyssey J7NK harness, a Performance Designs PD-Reserve 143 reserve canopy, a Performance Designs Zero 285 main canopy, and a VIGIL 2+ automatic activation device. The annual inspection was carried out on 4 April 2024, and no anomalies were noted. The pilot chute pouch was in satisfactory condition. The pilot chute handle, a leather ball, was noted to slide less easily on surfaces, which can partially drag the pilot chute out of its pouch.
Experience
The 56-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot license and had logged 6,600 flight hours, including 5,500 hours as a skydiving pilot. The skydiver who was ejected (PA1) was 46 years old, held C and D licenses and a federal instructor rating, and had 3,600 jumps. He suffered a fractured tibia from contact with the aircraft and fractures to five lumbar vertebrae upon landing. The instructor responsible for student jumps was 40 years old, had C and D licenses, and was training for an instructor rating.
Regulatory Framework
The skydiving school operated under EU regulations and had a document for risk assessment and specific procedures for skydiving operations.