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, killing the pilot and five parachutists, following a sudden loss of engine power after sputtering.
- Investigators determined that the aircraft likely experienced fuel exhaustion during its fourth lift, as only minimal fuel was found in the tanks despite starting with 30 gallons and completing three prior 30-minute flights.
- Witnesses described the engine sputtering before total failure, after which the plane entered a spiraling descent, prompting some skydivers to jump at insufficient altitude.
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