fatal parachute jump wellington S.A

[flyerme]

Sad news yet again...A skydiver had his chute fail yesterday and his reserve became tangled in his main chute and unfortunately he did not survive the fall.

 

this took place at Wellington skydiving airfield..Condolences to family and friends.

 

has been shocking week for Aviation:(

 

 

[Compulsion]

I am getting paranoid to open this site at the moment. Too much tragedy lately. Still driving home from Gawler today I was nearly taken out by a young female P plater. My condolences to the parachutist family and friends.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

As an ex-parachutist myself I can tell you that the fatalities have always been there. There used to be a steady 40 or so a year in the States, back in the 70s when I was active. It still is a sport of high-risk as it always will be, and jumpers obviously accept those risks, at some point.

 

They have had a 'pod' of skydiving accidents recently, just as the RAA has also endured with all their recent accidents. I don't have an answer why this happens, but in my memory it always has from time to time. My condolences to family and friends of course, but I must offer the following....." To die in the pursuit of adventure, is a worthy death indeed" by Charles Lindbergh....................................................................Maj...

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Blue Skies and Bloodshot eyes RIP

 

 

[farri]

Ross, If the main chute fails, shouldn`t it be cut loose before deploying the reserve?

 

Frank.

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Ross, If the main chute fails, shouldn`t it be cut loose before deploying the reserve?Frank.

Frank- I'll pre-empt Maj's reply.... basically yes, but it depends on whether it was 2 shot system ( std), SOS single operating system, RSL reserve static line, and whether it was equipped with an AAD. This and how the cutaway of the main was performed can have a big bearing on the reserve deployment. As I mentioned in another thread some time ago, I once had a RSL accidently deploy my reserve into a perfectly good main- 2 chutes out not a good situation for a tangle....

 

 

[farri]

Frank- I'll pre-empt Maj's reply.quote]

 

Frank.

[Guest ozzie]

Drop zone CIs received a prelim report within a couple hrs of this happening. Unfortunate event. I expect to receive a "statement of fact" from the APF by weeks end.

 

So far reported as induced line twists on main canopy due to radical inputs. Jumper elected to release main canopy rather than work it out. Probably to lack of altitude and fast decent rate. After cutaway jumper executed a longish delay before pulling reserve and impacted at line stretch.

 

So as sad this fatality is because of the system the APF has setup that can allow information to be past along quickly.

 

Main line of investigation will be how a lightly loaded low to mid performing canopy got to the point it was cutaway and why the! long delay? Dropped reserve handle or incorrect EPs?

 

I

 

Major

 

Straight away our CI started talking RSL for <500 jumps. It would have prevented the above.

 

Our DZ had an incident that required Westpac helicopter. When it landed out pops a reality cameraman. Within 5 minutes the highway patrol, car load of general duties boys and the fire rescue turned up . All jockeying for the cam. Cops turned it into crime scene arrested the offending parachute with its poorly maintained steering lines of which the right one broke during a highly loaded low level turn hitting the ground luckily with a high foreward speed. Bro seemed more occupied with his green whistle than worrying about all the camera hams.

 

Ozzie

 

 

[winsor68]

Ozzie... Do you mean the pilot most likely flew the canopy beyond it capabilities leading to a collapse? And then stuffed up the recovery?

 

And what is an RSL?

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes Frank, the idea is to get rid of the offending main in most cases, so you can then produce a 'clean' reserve opening. (plan B) It has to be clean, otherwise they then get to clean you up !!.....

 

There is no messing around at this point, it all has to be done quickly, but more importantly correctly. There is a recommended minimum main opening height, designed to give you enough time (plus some) to do all of the above. It is not a sport for stutterers !!.or the slow by nature !..............

 

On some of my reserve openings after 'cutting away, (releasing from the malfunctioned main), I have waited a couple of seconds before deploying the reserve, to ensure everything was 'good' as there is no second (third?) chance.

 

As I sit here well and healthy, I feel those 2 seconds or so spent back then, were a good investment. Obviously if your down to 500' and don't have 2 seconds. then please skip this step !

 

There is definitly no future in deploying the reserve, and hitting your hand on the ground as you do so !!

 

I do wish we had the 'instant' accident reporting with the RAAus, that the APF has as described by Ozzie !....................................................Maj...

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Reserve static line. A short lanyard that attaches one end to the riser of the main canopy and the other to the reserve cable. Pull cutaway handle and canopy will pull pin. Comes with its inherited shortcomings. Regardless handle should be pulled before goggles fill with blood.

 

Blue skies Black death

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Another tragic death that I recall from the 70s Wilton NSW days. The elderly gentleman was an ex-Polish WW2 Spitfire pilot, quite the character, and had bailed out a few times during the war, after being shot up by the 'hun'. He didn't mind a jump now and then, and came out to Wilton occasionally.. He had a russian (Kap 5 ?) set of gear that he was fond off, quite different to what everybody else had at the time.

 

He had suffered a recent malfunction requiring deployment of the reserve parachute, which he did successfully , but in the excitment lost his main ripcord. ( We were taught to just throw it away to free up you hands, the cool ones either put it in their mouth, or the rectangular handle over one arm)

 

Because his gear was so different, it took a good two months or so before he procured another ripcord from Europe.

 

Finally back in business, a few jumps later he suffered another main malfunction, but never got around to cutting away the main and fell to his demise with the canopy in tow. The newly procured ripcord was found stowed inside his jumpsuit. Because he didn't want to loose it , he had coiled it up, undone his jumpsuit zipper, stowed the ripcord, done up the zipper again, and hit the ground !!....Sad but true ....Skydiving could be a real Darwinian thing at times !.....................................Maj...

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

That was Alex? That happened a couple of months before i started in 75. Smoking craters everywhere that year.

 

 

[farri]

Goodonya Guys! Good posts.

 

Frank.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

That name sounds familiar ozzie, it was around that time I believe..Dave Smith was the one who told me about the ripcord being found rolled up in his jumpsuit....I'm glad I wasn't in one of those craters Ozzie !!!....................................Maj...

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Have just received the 'Statement of Fact' from the APF. The investigation is still continuing into the actual reason for the low cutaway.