Cessna 208 accident near Homestead, Florida, December 7, 2008
On December 7, 2008 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 208, registered N9639F, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Homestead, Florida (Homestead General airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 12 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadvertent deployment of the reserve parachute, resulting in the skydiver being prematurely pulled from the airplane and striking the horizontal stabilizer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 7, 2008 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Homestead, Florida · Homestead General · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 12 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208 · all 208s on the register
- Registration
- N9639F · registry record · serial 20800121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was at 13,500 feet overhead the airport, preparing for the skydivers to jump. The pilot turned on the green light to initiate the jump. He then felt the aircraft shudder, but did not lose control of the airplane. After most of the jumpers had left the airplane, one of the skydivers came forward and notified the pilot of damage to the tail. After a controllability check, the pilot landed the airplane without further incident. Structural damage to the left horizontal stabilizer was found after the flight. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that a skydiver was standing at the door of the airplane when his reserve chute inadvertently deployed, pulling the skydiver out of the airplane. The skydiver then struck the horizontal stabilizer after being pulled from the airplane. The FAA inspector found the parachute to have a current inspection; no anomalies were found.
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
What happened, in order
- Cabin safety event during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Passenger
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,450 hours in all; 2,800 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 6,341 as pilot in command; 1,535 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 20, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,258 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 4, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-60A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X51 Homestead FL
- Destination: X51 Homestead FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 5:04 pm from KHST
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 11 |
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 ERA09CA082.