Narrative:

C182 fix gear. On jump run at 4000 ft AGL and 75 mph. 1 pilot, a static line jump master, 2 static line students. Under joshua air control with a squawk code. The door opens, the first student climbs out under the right wing. A few seconds before jumping, I (the pilot) notice that the static line is tangled in the student's left arm. I immediately notice it to the jump master. The jump master tries to untangle the line. The student won't release the strut making it impossible to clear the line. We pass the target, the jump master wants the student back in. Suddenly, the student's parachute opens as she climbs back in. The plane yaws strongly but it is still ctlable. I concentrate on the flying, we are at 3500 ft AGL and 80 mph. I declare an emergency to joshua. Suddenly, the jump master, in the back of the airplane, screams for a hook knife. I grab mine and turn back to give it. He has already one and holds a non inflated parachute in his arms with the pilot chute and 1/3 of the canopy dragging outside. I slow the airplane down to 55 mph, we are at 3200 ft AGL. I call joshua again telling the problem 'jumper inside, parachute outside.' helped by the second student, the jump master drags the canopy inside but has to cut the pilot chute. I grab the legs of the first student, put them inside the plane and close the door. I gain altitude back to 3500 ft AGL and check for any damages to the plane. The elevator trim is broken slightly nose down, the tip of the right horizontal stabilizer is cut, 1/3 of the right elevator is bent 90 degrees vertical. The plane flies ok. I call joshua explaining the damages and telling everybody is all right. I switch frequency to L71 unicom and land ok. On the ground, I call joshua to say our landing was fine. After parking the airplane, I check the passenger. The second student is fine, but the jump master has the palm of one of his hands badly cut and bleeding. He has to go to the hospital for stitches. I check the first student. Her reserve is open and the cutaway handle (the tape which cuts away the main and opens the reserve automatically) is pulled, but only slightly. I realize at this time that the cutaway handle was pulled in the air which got us rid of the main parachute (found 1 mi south of the airport). After discussing with her and the jump master we came to the conclusion that nobody pulled the handle. On the floor of the aircraft I find the closing loop of the main parachute. The owner of the drop zone refuses for me to report the accident and says he will call NTSB telling he backed up in the tail of the plane with his car. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the FAA found out about the incident because of a second jump school on the airport. Word of such activity does get around in spite of the owner's demand that the pilot not report the incident to the FAA. The reporter's job was threatened if he did report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF JUMP ACFT C182 HAS DAMAGE TO THE ACFT FROM A JUMPER WHOSE CHUTE OPENED WHEN SHE WAS ON THE STRUT AND TANGLED WITH THE STATIC LINE.

Narrative: C182 FIX GEAR. ON JUMP RUN AT 4000 FT AGL AND 75 MPH. 1 PLT, A STATIC LINE JUMP MASTER, 2 STATIC LINE STUDENTS. UNDER JOSHUA AIR CTL WITH A SQUAWK CODE. THE DOOR OPENS, THE FIRST STUDENT CLBS OUT UNDER THE R WING. A FEW SECONDS BEFORE JUMPING, I (THE PLT) NOTICE THAT THE STATIC LINE IS TANGLED IN THE STUDENT'S L ARM. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICE IT TO THE JUMP MASTER. THE JUMP MASTER TRIES TO UNTANGLE THE LINE. THE STUDENT WON'T RELEASE THE STRUT MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CLR THE LINE. WE PASS THE TARGET, THE JUMP MASTER WANTS THE STUDENT BACK IN. SUDDENLY, THE STUDENT'S PARACHUTE OPENS AS SHE CLBS BACK IN. THE PLANE YAWS STRONGLY BUT IT IS STILL CTLABLE. I CONCENTRATE ON THE FLYING, WE ARE AT 3500 FT AGL AND 80 MPH. I DECLARE AN EMER TO JOSHUA. SUDDENLY, THE JUMP MASTER, IN THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE, SCREAMS FOR A HOOK KNIFE. I GRAB MINE AND TURN BACK TO GIVE IT. HE HAS ALREADY ONE AND HOLDS A NON INFLATED PARACHUTE IN HIS ARMS WITH THE PLT CHUTE AND 1/3 OF THE CANOPY DRAGGING OUTSIDE. I SLOW THE AIRPLANE DOWN TO 55 MPH, WE ARE AT 3200 FT AGL. I CALL JOSHUA AGAIN TELLING THE PROB 'JUMPER INSIDE, PARACHUTE OUTSIDE.' HELPED BY THE SECOND STUDENT, THE JUMP MASTER DRAGS THE CANOPY INSIDE BUT HAS TO CUT THE PLT CHUTE. I GRAB THE LEGS OF THE FIRST STUDENT, PUT THEM INSIDE THE PLANE AND CLOSE THE DOOR. I GAIN ALT BACK TO 3500 FT AGL AND CHK FOR ANY DAMAGES TO THE PLANE. THE ELEVATOR TRIM IS BROKEN SLIGHTLY NOSE DOWN, THE TIP OF THE R HORIZ STABILIZER IS CUT, 1/3 OF THE R ELEVATOR IS BENT 90 DEGS VERT. THE PLANE FLIES OK. I CALL JOSHUA EXPLAINING THE DAMAGES AND TELLING EVERYBODY IS ALL RIGHT. I SWITCH FREQ TO L71 UNICOM AND LAND OK. ON THE GND, I CALL JOSHUA TO SAY OUR LNDG WAS FINE. AFTER PARKING THE AIRPLANE, I CHK THE PAX. THE SECOND STUDENT IS FINE, BUT THE JUMP MASTER HAS THE PALM OF ONE OF HIS HANDS BADLY CUT AND BLEEDING. HE HAS TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL FOR STITCHES. I CHK THE FIRST STUDENT. HER RESERVE IS OPEN AND THE CUTAWAY HANDLE (THE TAPE WHICH CUTS AWAY THE MAIN AND OPENS THE RESERVE AUTOMATICALLY) IS PULLED, BUT ONLY SLIGHTLY. I REALIZE AT THIS TIME THAT THE CUTAWAY HANDLE WAS PULLED IN THE AIR WHICH GOT US RID OF THE MAIN PARACHUTE (FOUND 1 MI S OF THE ARPT). AFTER DISCUSSING WITH HER AND THE JUMP MASTER WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT NOBODY PULLED THE HANDLE. ON THE FLOOR OF THE ACFT I FIND THE CLOSING LOOP OF THE MAIN PARACHUTE. THE OWNER OF THE DROP ZONE REFUSES FOR ME TO RPT THE ACCIDENT AND SAYS HE WILL CALL NTSB TELLING HE BACKED UP IN THE TAIL OF THE PLANE WITH HIS CAR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE FAA FOUND OUT ABOUT THE INCIDENT BECAUSE OF A SECOND JUMP SCHOOL ON THE ARPT. WORD OF SUCH ACTIVITY DOES GET AROUND IN SPITE OF THE OWNER'S DEMAND THAT THE PLT NOT RPT THE INCIDENT TO THE FAA. THE RPTR'S JOB WAS THREATENED IF HE DID RPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.