Amateur-built DHC-6 Twin Otter accident near Fentress, Texas, May 27, 2001
On May 27, 2001 at about 4:20 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-6 Twin Otter, registered N125PM, suffered minor damage in an accident near Fentress, Texas. It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 22 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the King Air pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision in that he failed to remain in the agreed on formation position, resulting in one of his skydiver's contacting the propeller of the de Havilland airplane. A contributing factor was the lack of total experience of both pilots in multiengine formation air drop flights.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2001 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Fentress, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 22 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-6 Twin Otter
- Registration
- N125PM · registry record · serial 89
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A de Havilland DHC-6 and a Beech King Air 90 were to make a formation air drop of skydivers from 14,000 feet msl. The de Havilland was to be the lead aircraft with the King Air in trail. As the skydivers prepared to exit, the King Air was traveling faster than the de Havilland, and the pilot of the King Air had to pitch up and bank right to avoid the de Havilland. At that time, the pilot of the King Air lost sight of the de Havilland. A video tape taken by one of the skydivers showed that at the time the skydivers exited, the King Air was above, right, and ahead of the de Havilland. One of the King Air skydivers contacted the right propeller of the de Havilland. Other skydivers then saw this skydiver spinning out of control. One of these skydivers caught the injured skydiver and pulled the reserve handle; however, the reserve parachute did not fully inflate "due to being cut by the propeller." The injured skydiver fell to the ground. Both airplanes landed without further incident. The operator reported that this was the first formation air drop flight for either pilot in a multi-engine aircraft.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 2,212 as pilot in command; 1,160 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-27 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: XS90 Fentress TX at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from HYI, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 21 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.