2013 Wisconsin skydiving mid-air collision
| Occurrence | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 2, 2013 |
| Summary | Mid-air collision during skydiving formation |
| Site | Superior, Wisconsin, United States 46°41′25.0″N 92°05′40.5″W / 46.690278°N 92.094583°WCoordinates: 46°41′25.0″N 92°05′40.5″W / 46.690278°N 92.094583°W ⧼validator-fatal-error⧽ |
| First aircraft | |
| Type | Cessna 182 Skylane |
| Operator | Skydive Superior |
| Registration | N70520 |
| Flight origin | Richard I. Bong Airport |
| Destination | Richard I. Bong Airport |
| Passengers | 4 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 5 (all) |
| Second aircraft | |
| Type | Cessna 185 Skywagon |
| Operator | Skydive Superior |
| Registration | N94059 |
| Flight origin | Richard I. Bong Airport |
| Destination | Richard I. Bong Airport |
| Passengers | 5 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Survivors | 6 (all) |
On November 2, 2013, two skydiving aircraft, a Cessna 182 Skylane and a Cessna 185 Skywagon, both owned by Skydive Superior, collided in mid-air during a formation skydiving flight over Superior, Wisconsin, United States. All eleven persons involved—four skydivers and a pilot in the 182 and five skydivers and a pilot in the 185—survived. The only minor injury sustained was to the pilot in the 182.[1][2] The incident achieved considerable publicity when footage of the collision taken from five of the skydivers' helmet cameras was licensed to CBS News.[3]
Accident[edit]
Both aircraft were being operated by Skydive Superior on local skydiving flights from Richard I. Bong Airport for a planned sunset parachute jump.[3][4] On the night of the accident, both aircraft, the leading Cessna 182 Skylane, aircraft registration N70520, and the trailing Cessna 185 Skywagon, N94059, departed in a "rectangular pattern" until both reached jump altitude of 12,700 feet (3870 m) mean sea level (MSL). The skydivers in the 182 walked out onto the aircraft step preparing to jump. The 185 then struck the top of the 182, smashing the 182's windshield, tearing off its right wing, and causing its right wing fuel tank to explode; the 182 then entered an uncontrollable descending spin. After the collision, all skydivers jumped from their respective aircraft and deployed their parachutes, the pilot of the 182 parachuted to safety, and the pilot of the 185 regained control and landed safely at the departure airport. Only the pilot of the leading 182 sustained minor injuries; all nine skydivers and the 185 pilot survived uninjured. The 185 was substantially damaged in the collision, while the 182 was destroyed by the collision and subsequent uncontrolled ground impact.[2][4]
Aftermath[edit]
All nine skydivers and both pilots were interviewed on The TODAY Show three days after the accident. One of the skydivers said "It seemed like it's getting closer, closer, closer and all of a sudden it clicked like, 'This is too close.' The impact just threw me back."[3] The pilot of the lead aircraft told Matt Lauer on Dateline NBC, "I began to pick up more and more airspeed. And I realize that I have no control of this aircraft. And probably thought it was in my best interest to not be in this aircraft."[2]
Investigation[edit]
The National Transportation Safety Board attributed the cause of the crash to the failure of the pilot of the trailing 185 to maintain sufficient separation from the leading 182. Inadequate pilot training for formation operations was noted as a possible contributing factor.[4]
References[edit]
- ↑ Smith, Matt; Sutton, Joe (November 4, 2013). "Pilot, passengers jump to safety as skydiving planes collide". CNN. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Connor, Tracy (November 8, 2013). "'No control': Skydivers' pilot recounts death-defying leap from burning plane". NBC News. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Stump, Scott (November 5, 2013). "Skydivers in plane collision caught on camera: We'll jump again". The TODAY Show. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report (Report). National Transportation Safety Board. CEN14LA036. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
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