Pilatus PC-6 accident near Sturtevant, Wisconsin, May 26, 2005
On May 26, 2005 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Pilatus PC-6, registered N346F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sturtevant, Wisconsin (Sylvania airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the jump plane pilot to maintain clearance from the parachutist descent area/drop zone until assured that all jumpers had landed, and the parachutist's failure to maintain an adequate visual lookout for the jump plane during all phases of the jump. Contributing factors were the inability of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane after collision with the parachutist, the airplane's low altitude at the time of the collision, the parachutist, and the trees. An additional factor was the proximity of the runway to the drop zone.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2005 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sturtevant, Wisconsin · Sylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pilatus PC-6 · all PC-6s on the register
- Registration
- N346F · no longer on the register · serial 2001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The parachute jump plane was substantially damaged when it collided with a parachutist on final approach for landing. The pilot was not able to maintain directional control and the airplane impacted trees and terrain near the airport. The pilot stated that he was on final approach for landing, when a parachutist "made a rapid descent and accelerated from behind [his] right wing." The parachutist hit the right wing and the airplane entered an unrecoverable descending right turn, subsequently striking a tree line. The parachutist involved in the accident stated that he "couldn't quite make it to the landing area" because the "spot was a little long." He noted that as a result he intended to land in front of the hangar. He reported he did not hear or see the jump plane. The parachutist stated: "I have a very high performance canopy and I descended quickly over the [airfield]. I crossed the far north edge of the grass runway for only an instant. I came from above and when my canopy leveled out, I was in front of the right wing." The drop zone for experienced parachutists was located north of the turf runway and west of the hangar buildings. Jump planes normally used the adjacent turf runway for landing. Advisory Circular 90-66A, Recommended Standard Traffic Patterns and Practices for Aeronautical Operations at Airports without Operating Control Towers, stated: "When a drop zone has been established on an airport, parachutists are expected to land within the drop zone. . . . Pilots and parachutists should both be aware of the limited flight performance of parachutes and take steps to avoid any potential conflicts between aircraft and parachute operations." Helmet-mounted video cameras from the parachutist involved in the accident, as well as a second parachutist on the accident jump, revealed that both parachutists descended through a cloud prior to canopy deployment. Federal regulations stated that parachute operations may not be conducted "into or through a cloud."
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 17,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,708.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 4,850 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C89 Sturtevant WI at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26R, 2,343 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from ENW, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI05LA130.