What happened
During the final scheduled jump of the day, an aircraft was operating to deploy eight parachutists from an altitude of 1,500 metres. The flight was conducted under favorable weather conditions. As a precaution against COVID-19, the seating arrangement had been modified, with a pilot's seat installed in place of the passenger bench to increase the distance between the crew and the jumpers.
Shortly after departing, the aircraft reached an altitude between 400 and 500 feet. The pilot then initiated a 180-degree left turn. This maneuver was executed via a descending turn characterized by a high bank angle. Following this turn, the aircraft entered a steep dive, momentarily leveling off just before striking the ground. The impact caused the landing gear to be torn from the airframe, and the aircraft slid 48 metres on its belly before catching fire. All nine persons on board were killed in the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the accident highlighted that the pilot was unable to perform necessary mass and balance calculations due to a lack of available information. The sequence of events suggests the aircraft's loss of control was linked to the high bank angle during the descending turn.