Cessna 182 accident near Wailua, Hawaii, July 11, 1991
On July 11, 1991 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N9022T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wailua, Hawaii. It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE ACCIDENTAL DEPLOYMENT OF JUMPERS RESERVE PARACHUTE INSIDE THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 1991 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Wailua, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N9022T · registry record · serial 52922
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS IN LEVEL CRUISE AND 3 OF THE 4 JUMPERS WERE POSITIONED ON THE STEP READY TO JUMP. THE RESERVE CHUTE ON ONE OF THE JUMPERS ACCIDENTLY DEPLOYED AND WAS SUCKED FORWARD AND OVER THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE. THE JUMPER WAS PULLED FORWARD AND OVER THE WING, AND IN THE PROCESS, HIT HIS HEAD ON THE WING LEADING EDGE AND SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED THE INTERNAL WING STRUCTURE. AS THE JUMPER'S CHUTE DEPLOYED OVER THE WING, THE AIRCRAFT WAS ROLLED INVERTED. THE OTHER JUMPERS JUMPED AND PARACHUTED TO THE GROUND SAFELY. THE PILOT REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PARACHUTISTS WHOSE RESERVE CHUTE DEPLOYED WAS FOUND FATALLY INJURED. THE PARACHUTE INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WAS EXAMINED BY A MASTER PARACHUTE RIGGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS. ACCORDING TO THE RIGGER'S REPORT, THE AUTOMATIC OPENING DEVICE FOR THE RESERVE PARACHUTE WAS FOUND ACTIVATED, HOWEVER, NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE ABOUT WHEN THE DEVICE TRIGGERED. NO OTHER ANOMALY IN THE PARACHUTE SYSTEM WAS 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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 753 hours in all; 118 in this make and model; 118 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 |
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 LAX91LA306.