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NTSB Releases Probable Cause of 2012 Taylorville Airplane Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board recently released a probable cause on the Taylorville airplane crash that occurred in 2012. According to the NTSB, the crash was due to an improper airspeed, the flaps being at the wrong angle, and too many people in the door area during exit which caused a shift in the airplane’s center of gravity. The report says the plane was traveling at a speed of 100 mph with the flaps retracted while it should have been flying at 110 to 120 mph with the flaps set at 30 degrees.

Also there were reportedly five of the parachutists hanging on to the outside of the airplane with several others standing in the door and the remainder were standing in the cabin forward of the door. According to instructions on the operator's skydiver briefing card, no more than four jumpers should be allowed to occupy the door area during exit. The NTSB report says these 3 factors likely lead to the aerodynamic stall/spin and a loss of control of the plane. The pilot, 30-year-old Brandon Sparrow, was killed in the crash. There were no injuries amongst the 12 parachutists and no one on the ground was injured either. You can review the full report by clicking here: NTSB Full Report.

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