NTSB investigators found no obvious reason for a Pacific Aerospace Limited 750XL jump plane to have gone into a knife edge turn shortly after takeoff that ended in a fiery crash on June 14 that killed the pilot and all 11 skydivers in Butler, Missouri. The NTSB said associates at the jump zone also had no concerns about the pilot. “The operator reported that they did not have any previous concerns with the pilot, he was safety oriented, and he was also conservative with his decision making as a jump pilot,” the NTSB’s preliminary report said.
The fatal accident occurred on the third of eight planned jumps for the day and the pilot had done all his checks as normal. The fuel in the truck that had topped the tanks was clean and the engine was making power. The plane was within weight and balance norms and while it was a little windy, the weather was benign. Most of the main control components were destroyed by the fire, but aileron cables and a few other parts are being examined by the NTSB lab.
NTR
Not required.