At 18:00 EDT, a Cessna 205 hauling a group of skydivers crashed shortly after takeoff from the Lakefield Airport. The pilot and five parachutists died. Several witnesses described smooth engine noise, brief sputtering and then a total loss of engine power. When the engine quit one skydiver jumped out, but the altitude was insufficient to open the parachute. The airplane then entered a spiraling descent and two more jumpers exited the airplane. The pilot had been hired the day of the accident. Investigators determined the aircraft was loaded with 30 gallons of fuel and then flew three lifts of jumpers to approximately 10,000 feet, with each flight taking about 30 minutes. The accident occurred during the fourth lift. There was no odor of fuel at the crash scene. Approximately 1.5 gallons of fuel was drained from the left fuel tank, which had several holes in it from the crash. The right wing was intact and contained eight ounces of fuel.
May 9, Celina, Ohio / Cessna 205
At 18:00 EDT, a Cessna 205 hauling a group of skydivers crashed shortly after takeoff from the Lakefield Airport. The pilot and five parachutists died. Several witnesses described smooth engine noise, brief sputtering and then a total loss of engine power. When the engine quit one skydiver jumped out, but the altitude was insufficient to open the parachute. The airplane then entered a spiraling descent and two more jumpers exited the airplane. The pilot had been hired the day of the accident. Investigators determined the aircraft was loaded with 30 gallons of fuel and then flew three lifts of jumpers to approximately 10,000 feet, with each flight taking about 30 minutes. The accident occurre...
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna 205 carrying skydivers crashed shortly after takeoff following engine sputtering and a total loss of power, resulting in the deaths of the pilot and five parachutists.
- Investigators determined the aircraft likely ran out of fuel, having completed three 30-minute lifts to 10,000 feet on 30 gallons, with minimal fuel remaining at the crash site and no odor of fuel.
- The accident occurred during the aircraft's fourth lift, and the pilot had only been hired the day of the accident.
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