Investigation Summary
The accident occurred during the final 'sunset load' of the day. The flight was conducted as a two-plane formation with a Cessna 182L acting as the lead and a more powerful Cessna 185F as the trail. According to the pre-flight briefing, the trail aircraft was to maintain separation to the left and slightly behind the lead. However, post-accident interviews revealed a lack of consensus among the pilots regarding the specific lateral and vertical distances required for safe formation. Helmet-mounted camera footage from the skydivers showed that as the jumpers in the lead plane climbed out onto the wing strut, the trail aircraft was positioned higher than the lead and began to drift closer. The bottom of the Cessna 185F struck the top of the Cessna 182L, wedging two skydivers briefly between the airframes. The Cessna 182L suffered a shattered windshield and the separation of its right wing, which then exploded. The pilot of the 182L, finding the controls unresponsive and the aircraft in a flat spin, exited the plane and deployed his emergency parachute. The 185F pilot, who was not wearing a parachute despite regulations requiring one for skydiving operations, managed to recover from an inverted position and land the substantially damaged aircraft at Richard I. Bong Airport. Note: While the aircraft is a 185F, some NTSB maintenance records erroneously refer to it as a 185R.
Final Conclusions
The NTSB determined the probable cause to be the failure of the pilot flying the trail airplane (Cessna 185F) to maintain separation from the lead airplane. A significant contributing factor was the inadequate pilot training for formation skydiving operations. The investigation noted that the FAA does not provide specific guidance or requirements for skydiving formation training, and the operator did not maintain training records or provide formal formation instruction to its pilots.
Video Analysis
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Airframe & Maintenance
Skydive Superior N70520 — Cessna 182L · N70520
Skydive Superior N94059 — Cessna 185F · N94059
Crew Experience
Pilot
Pilot of the lead aircraft.
Pilot
Pilot of the trail aircraft.
Systems & Failure Modes
Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA462WE
A modification to the Cessna 185F door for skydiving operations which explicitly required the pilot to wear a parachute.
Formation Flight Procedures
The informal set of rules used by the operator where the trail aircraft is responsible for maintaining visual contact and separation from the lead aircraft.
Interesting Facts
- 01All 11 people involved survived the accident; one parachutist from the Cessna 185F sustained serious injuries, while four others from that aircraft and the pilot of the Cessna 182L sustained minor injuries.
- 02The pilot of the trail aircraft (Cessna 185F) was not wearing a parachute, violating the provisions of the aircraft's skydiving modification certificate (STC SA462WE).
- 03Helmet camera footage from five different skydivers provided investigators with a clear visual record of the collision sequence.
- 04The lead aircraft (Cessna 182L) was completely destroyed by the impact, in-flight breakup, and subsequent fire.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Formation Training Awareness
The NTSB highlighted the lack of FAA guidance for skydiving formation flights, emphasizing the need for adequate pilot training to ensure consensus on separation standards.
Location
APPROXIMATE POSITION · AIRPORT LEVEL · Coordinates are the estimate published in the official investigation report. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.