29 Jul 20224:37 reconstruction160K views

Copilot exits airplane mid flight without parachute

Accident Facts

Accident: ERA22LA348
Date: 29 July 2022
Aircraft: CASA C212-200 N497CA
Location: Raeford, North Carolina / diversion to Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Injuries: 1 fatal, 1 none
Operation: Part 91 skydiving

Timeline

14:04 EDT —

N497CA was substantially damaged during a hard landing near Raeford West Airport.

Approach —

The second-in-command was flying the approach when the airplane descended below the tree line and the right main landing gear struck the runway.

Go-around —

The PIC took over after the landing-gear damage and the crew diverted toward Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

En route —

The SIC became upset, opened the aft ramp, removed his headset and left his seat.

During diversion —

The SIC exited the aircraft through the aft ramp without a parachute and sustained fatal injuries.

RDU —

The PIC continued alone, made an emergency landing and the airplane departed the runway onto the grass.

What Happened

On 29 July 2022, CASA C212-200 N497CA was conducting a skydiving operation near Raeford, North Carolina. After two skydiving runs, the crew returned to Raeford West Airport for another group. The second-in-command was flying the approach. The NTSB found that the airplane encountered windshear below the tree line; the right main landing gear struck the runway and separated.

The pilot in command took control, declared an emergency and decided to divert to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, where a longer runway and additional facilities were available. The damaged aircraft remained controllable enough for the diversion, but the right main landing gear and associated structure had been damaged.

The Fatal Decision During the Diversion

While en route to Raleigh-Durham, the second-in-command became upset about the hard landing. According to the investigation, he opened a cockpit window, felt sick, lowered the aft ramp, removed his headset and left his seat. He then exited the aircraft through the aft ramp without a parachute.

The pilot in command immediately notified ATC that the copilot had departed the aircraft and continued toward Raleigh-Durham alone. He performed an emergency landing. The airplane subsequently departed the right side of the runway and came to rest upright in the grass, sustaining additional substantial damage.

NTSB Finding

The NTSB determined that the accident's probable cause was the airplane's encounter with windshear during landing, which resulted in a hard landing and separation of the right main landing gear, followed by the pilot's decision to leave his seat in flight, which resulted in his fall from the airplane. The final report therefore distinguishes the original landing event from the later fatal act during the diversion.

Sources

Audio from the original air traffic control recording, sourced from public recordings and released investigation records. The reconstruction, animation and written account are our own.