History of Flight
On 6 April 2011, a Cessna U206G registered as ZS-CVA departed from Delta 200 (FADX) runway 20 in the Western Cape Province on a skydive flight. The aircraft carried one pilot and six parachutists. The aircraft climbed to flight level 090, where four parachutists exited without incident. It then continued to flight level 110 for the remaining two parachutists.
During the fifth parachutist's attempt to exit, his reserve parachute deployed prematurely. The pilot heard a loud bang and felt a sudden shaking of the airframe. He observed that the parachutist had exited and that the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were substantially damaged. The sixth parachutist remained on board.
The pilot declared an emergency with Cape Town International Airport (FACT). During the landing, the aircraft bounced, causing the propeller to contact the runway surface. The propeller and nose wheel were damaged.
Injuries
The pilot, the remaining parachutist, and the four parachutists who exited at FL090 were not injured. The fifth parachutist sustained minor back and spinal injuries.
Damage to Aircraft
The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were severely damaged in flight due to impact by the parachutist. Additionally, the nose wheel and propeller were damaged during the landing bounce.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident was the parachutist impacting the aircraft. A contributory factor was the premature deployment of the parachutist's reserve parachute.