The accident happened near Taylorville, about 25 miles southeast of Springfield, and involved six members of the Mid-America Sport Parachute Club, according to Taylorville Fire Department Captain Mike Crews.
The parachute of a jumper opened prematurely and became tangled around the tail of the Cessna 206 aircraft, causing the plane to spiral to the ground from 10,000 feet, Crews said.
Five other people aboard the aircraft, including the pilot, were able to jump from the plane before it hit the ground a quarter mile west of Taylorville Municipal Airport.
The man whose parachute opened prematurely was killed, according to Crews. His identity was withheld pending notification of relatives. One jumper received minor injuries.
No one on the ground was hurt in the crash.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident, according to FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory.
