Skydivers Ordered To Evacuate The Airplane, Pilot Returned To Airport And Landed Safely

A plane with a pilot and 13 skydivers experienced an engine fire shortly after takeoff Sunday, but fortunately all of the jumpers were able to safely exit the airplane, and the pilot was able to land safely back at the airport.

The plane had departed Colorado Springs East Airport (CO94), and John Mahan, the co-owner of Out of the Blue Skydiving who was aboard the plane, said a bird strike may have been responsible for the fire, according to television station KDVR.

The impact was to the propeller on the left engine of the aircraft at about 2,600 feet AGL, and that engine subsequently caught fire. The pilot ordered an emergency evacuation of the airplane, and the nine solo jumpers were out in about 30 seconds, according to Mahan. Two first-time skydivers ... reported to be a man celebrating his 60th birthday and his son ... and their tandem instructors took a few extra seconds to check their gear before exiting the aircraft. All were out within a minute of the order, according to Mahan, who was one of the tandem instructors. He said he was the last one out of the airplane with the father, and he watched the plane return to the airport but did not see the actual landing.

Mahan said they usually jump at about 12,000 feet, but the order to abandon the aircraft came at about 2,600 feet. ABC News reports that Out of the Blue videographer Rusty Wardlow said some of the jumpers used their reserve parachutes because they were too low for the main canopies to deploy properly. All landed safely, but were scattered around the area, so Mahan said it took some time to track everyone down.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov