Incident Overview
A single-engine Fletcher aircraft departed Hokitika Airport for a local skydiving flight. On board were four skydivers and one pilot.
Sequence of Events
As one of the skydivers prepared to exit, the ripcord of his reserve parachute became snagged, causing the parachute to stream and begin to deploy. The jumper was dragged aft and struck the tailplane, damaging it. The aircraft subsequently went out of control and dived into the ground.
Escape and Injuries
The remaining three skydivers escaped the aircraft by deploying their parachutes. The pilot, who was not wearing a parachute, was killed in the crash. The jumper whose reserve parachute had deployed suffered a head injury that rendered him briefly unconscious, but he landed safely.
Aircraft Damage
The tailplane was damaged during the incident, and the aircraft was destroyed upon impact.