De Havilland DHC-6 N926MA
23 July 1995 · Belen, New Mexico, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 23 July 1995 at about 22:20 local time, a De Havilland DHC-6 registered N926MA, operated by Coronado Skydiving Center, was involved in an accident near Belen, New Mexico, United States. 18 people were on board and one died. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Belen, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.6506, -106.7691
- Aircraft
- De Havilland DHC-6
- Registration
- N926MA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Coronado Skydiving Center
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Skydiving
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW95LA309
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Probable cause
THE PARACHUTIST'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES ON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. A FACTOR WAS THE PARACHUTIST'S INCAPACITATION DUE TO HITTING HIS HEAD ON THE DOORWAY FLOOR.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
DURING AN ATTEMPTED FREESTYLE JUMP FROM 10,500 FEET MSL, THE PARACHUTIST GRIPPED A BAR IN THE AIRPLANE, THEN SWUNG HIS LEGS OUTSIDE AND LET GO. DURING THIS ATTEMPTED EXIT, THE PARACHUTIST HIT HIS HEAD ON THE DOORWAY FLOOR. THE PARACHUTIST DID NOT TURN 'FACE TO EARTH,' SO ANOTHER PARACHUTIST ATTEMPTED A RESCUE; HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO CATCH UP. THE INJURED PARACHUTIST DID NOT DEPLOY HIS PARACHUTE. THE PARACHUTIST HAD ACCUMULATED 70 JUMPS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, AND HE WAS NOT WEARING A HELMET.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other De Havilland DHC-6 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Mar 1995 | De Havilland DHC-6-200 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 1996 | De Havilland DHC-6 | Raeford, North Carolina, United States | Freefall Express | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Aug 1994 | De Havilland DHC-6-300 | McCall, Idaho, United States | U.s. Forest Service | Unknown | - |
| 9 Mar 1996 | De Havilland DHC-6-200 | Bagua, Peru | Carson Services Inc. | Fatal | 3 |
| 23 Jul 1997 | De Havilland DHC-6-200 | Sussex, New Jersey, United States | Skys the Limit | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 1997 | De Havilland DHC-6-300 | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 1995 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Mimbres, New Mexico, United States | Bartelett Aviation | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 1995 | Thunder and Colt AX7-77 | Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 1995 | Cessna 152 | Farmington, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 1995 | Cessna 421C | El Prado, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 22 Oct 1995 | Beechcraft 95 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 1995 | Piper PA-32-260 | Farmington, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |