Very difficult to speculate…. the 206 will hold approx seven people including the pilot, therefore, if the jumpers were going to go individually, this unfortunate chap could have been first or second out of the door.
Imagine the aircraft on its run in at 10000′, the pilot slowing the aircraft to around 75/80kts in preparation for the jump, the jump master calls for the cut, the pilot reduces power and enters a gentle descent to maintain airspeed, the first (or second) chap makes for the door or is on the step, just as he’s about to go his chute comes open and immediately wraps itself around the tail and pulls the skydiver into trail behind the aircraft, at such a slow speed the increased drag immediately stalls the aircraft and down it goes, all that is left is for the remaining occupants to make good their escape.
The second possible senario is – at the cut, the jumpers start climbing out to hold on (floaters), at this point one guy’s chute pops open and wraps itself around the tail, the story is then the same.

I agree with Janie that skydivers fall straight down rather than back then down, remember that they are travelling at the same speed as the aircraft when they leave it and their forward speed diminishes as they fall, I also agree that the weight and balance does change dramatically in fact I think many PPL’s should experience it for themselves, also if the door is on one side of the aircraft then you get a very serious weight shift one way, many jump pilots fly with a assymmetric fuel load to help (I do!!), as the skydivers leave the aircraft you have full forward trim, full forward elevator and full right hand aileron!! makes for an interesting recovery once they have jumped and all of a sudden there is no weight!

However I disgree that the aircraft could be so nose high that the jumper ‘fell onto’ the tailplane, it would have to be near vertical and at such a low climb airspeed it would be impossible to achieve such an attitude, the aircraft would stall out long before.

MMitch is right, floaters hanging on outside do create interesting flight characteristics until they jump off their perches!!

The key to this unfortunate incident is the fact that the chute got wrapped around the tail, therefore it must have been open in or near the door.

There have been plenty of nude jumps even nude weddings in free fall…….

Sorry for the waffle…

Rgds

Current BPA pilot