History of the Flight
On 31 July 2011 at 10:20 UTC, a Cessna U206G was conducting parachute dropping operations near the village of Doel, close to Hoevenen airfield (EBHV) in Belgium. After climbing to the dropping altitude at FL120, all parachutists exited the aircraft as per procedure. The last parachutist was moving out of the airplane and positioning himself on the side of the fuselage when his reserve parachute suddenly deployed. The parachutist was violently dragged backward, causing the parachute to hit the right-hand stabilizer and elevator. The pilot felt a significant shock and lost pitch control, with the aircraft pitching up and down. After a few seconds, the pilot regained stable pitch control, though with a heavy pitch-down tendency. The elevator control became sloppy and the elevator trim was inoperative. The pilot adjusted engine power to stabilize airspeed and assessed whether to evacuate or land. He decided to land, switched to the airfield frequency, and declared an emergency. During descent, the pilot saw the parachutist with a properly inflated canopy. The pilot landed on runway 15, which was free of obstacles, and the landing was uneventful. The skydiver landed safely, uninjured.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a Cessna U206G registered in Belgium, holding a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and Airworthiness Review Certificate. It was modified for skydiving operations under STC N° Z 25-20-36 and had its original reciprocating engine replaced by a turbine engine via FAA STC SA 2353NM. The pilot, aged 69, held a valid Commercial Pilot Licence with SEP and Cessna SET ratings, and a Class 2 medical certificate. Total flight experience exceeded 8000 hours, including extensive experience in parachute dropping operations using Cessna 206 Turbine airplanes.
Damage and Analysis
Inspection after landing revealed the right-hand stabilizer was deformed and the right-hand elevator was partially torn off and hinged downward. The parachutist reported that the reserve parachute deployed when he was moving out of the airplane. The wind pulled him out violently, causing the parachute to hit the tail. The parachutist did not hit any part of the aircraft, and the parachute did not remain attached to the structure. The reserve parachute remained sufficiently operational for landing despite damage to one canopy section and a broken steering line. Examination of the parachute found no pre-existing anomaly. The cause of the premature deployment could not be determined with certainty, but examination suggested that the reserve parachute control cable may have been inadvertently activated by contact with a protruding object on the cabin ceiling or door frame. A raised protection Velcro strap on the parachute container could have exposed the control cable.
Conclusion
The accident was caused by the premature deployment of a parachutist's reserve parachute. The reserve parachute control cable was probably pulled out by an inadvertent contact with a protruding object located on the ceiling of the cabin or on the door frame.