Circumstances Under Question

Investigators in Taylorville (IL) are trying to figure out the sequence of events that led to Sunday's crash of a Cessna 206. One person -- a man whose parachute may have deployed prematurely -- was killed in the accident.

Officials said 38-year old Bill Jensen's parachute became entangled with the aircraft's empennage at approximately 10,000 feet. Five people, including the plane's pilot, were able to bail out before the 206 (file photo of type, below) impacted the ground.

But what caused the accident remained a mystery. Some survivors said the aircraft stalled just before the accident. Others indicated it was Jensen's chute becoming tangled up with the tail of the aircraft that caused it to spin out of control.

The investigation continues.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 8619Z        Make/Model: C206      Description: 206, P206, T206, TP206, U206, TU206,  (T
  Date: 10/24/2004     Time: 1940

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: TAYLORVILLE                 State: IL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT REPORTED THAT HE WAS CLIMBING OUT OF 9500 TO 10000 FT WITH SKYDIVERS
  AT TAYLORVILLE. ACFT WAS ISSUED THE SPRINGFIELD ALTIMETER. AT 1938 ACFT WAS
  OBSERVED DESCENDING AND THE CONTROLLER ATTEMPTED TO TERMINATE THE ACFT'S
  RADAR SERVICE. CLEARANCE WAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. IT WAS LATER REPORTED THAT
  THERE HAD BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THE ACFT IS REORTED DESTROYED AND ONE FATA AND
  ONE SERIOUS INJURY. TAYLORVILLE, IL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1    Fat:   0     Ser:   1     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:    5    Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:          Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: SPI METAR 1845Z 23007KT 10SM CLR 20/04 A2992                               

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Other      Operation: General Aviation

  Departed: TAYLORVILLE, IL  TAZ        Dep Date: 10/24/2004   Dep. Time: 1920
  Destination: TAYLORVILLE, IL  TAZ     Flt Plan: UNK          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: 1937Z
  Last Clearance: SPRINGFIELD ALTIM.

FAA FSDO: SPRINGFIELD, IL  (GL19)               Entry date: 10/25/2004

FMI: www.ntsb.gov