Originally Posted by
Steepclimb
I've a thousand hours or so flying a skydive Airvan. It's docile, you have to work hard to crash it.
The video is horrifying. I see no tail in the video but the fuselage seems long. Possible accidental deployment of a tandem parachute? But again I can't see it breaking off the tail which is high. Skydivers can hit it if they try hard.
Also nine is a heavy load for an Airvan. We could get eight with minimum fuel. But without tandems. Yes it's nose heavy empty, you'd run out of trim and have to hold nose up on landing so clearly it was designed to minimise the possibility of being unbalanced with a heavy load to the rear. But nine is heavy.
Obviously if they find the tail separated???
A wing is missing, the tail is missing and there is a parachute streaming behind the fuselage.
(According to an eyewitness, possibly the same guy who shot the film)