Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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07/01/2007 | Australia | NOP | ?/? | 238 | #2602272 | ||
DropZone.com Description: Jumper was doing a demo into a large outdoor dance party from a helicopter at approx 2700 feet, this was his 2nd or 3rd such jump. He wore his wingsuit and backflew most of the freefall with a second person. He opened his canopy at a low altitude (approx 75-100 feet) and ended up having line twists on the main. He then crashed into trees and then a car while under a possibly spinning main with line twists. | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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07/03/2007 | Bridlington, England | NOP | 23 | 30 | ?/? | 240 | #2705243 |
Description: The deceased impacted with no parachute deployed. At his level of his experience he should have had a functioning ADD. Whether it was never switched on, switched off or malfunctioned is unknown at this time. | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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27/05/2007 | Frotey-lès-Vesoul, France | NOP,MED? | 39 | 870 | Y/? | 272 | #2823284 |
Description: The jumper exited at 1200m but did not attempt to deploy either the main nor reserve canopy. The reserve started to open at 50 feet, presumably due to the AAD, but it did not deploy enough to prevent fatal injuries. It is thought the deceased may have lost conciousness. | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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01/06/2007 | Lodz, Poland | NOP,MED? | 58 | 750 | N/? | 265 | #2831290 |
Description: The jumper was taking part in a demo at a sports stadium and was the last jumper to exit from an Mi-8 helicopter. The jumper was unstable until impact, possibly trying to extract the pilot-chute from the pouch. It is possible that he may have had a heart condition. | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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30/09/2007 | Skydive Moab, UT | NOP | 26 | 118 | N/? | 311 | #2965379 |
DropZone.com Description: During a wingsuit jump the jumper flew into the ground with out deploying any canopies. This jumper had between 3 and 18 wingsuit jumps and was jumping a demo wingsuit at a boogie. | |||||||
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USPA Description: This jumper was making a wingsuit jump with two other skydivers during a large event at a drop zone where he did not normally jump. The three exited a Skyvan at approximately 13,000 feet AGL (more than 17,000 feet above sea level). They continued flying together until approximately 6,000 feet above the ground, where two of the jumpers turned to fly toward the drop zone, both losing sight of this jumper before deploying their parachutes at 3,500 feet and landing uneventfully. When this jumper did not return to the drop zone after a short time, a search began. The search party found him approximately one mile from the drop zone with his main pilot chute, cutaway handle and reserve ripcord still in place on his container. The reserve pilot chute had deployed on impact, and the reserve canopy was still in its freebag with a few feet of unstowed lines. The jumper was apparently killed instantly by the hard impact. |
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USPA Conclusions: The exact details of this fatality may never be discovered. However, several factors may hint toward a potential cause. This jumper had completed approximately 20 wingsuit jumps out of his 119 total jumps. Skydiver's Information Manual Section 6-9 recommends that jumpers making wingsuit jumps have at least 500 freefall skydives—or at least 200 freefall skydives within the previous 18-months—and that they receive one-on-one instruction from an experienced wingsuit jumper. Wingsuits can add additional risks to skydiving; knowledge, practice and skill are necessary to minimize these risks. Much of this can only be acquired by gaining experience and proficiency with the basics of skydiving first. Although oxygen was available on the load, this jumper chose not to use it. Witnesses stated that he did not exhibit any signs of hypoxia. This jumper's altitude awareness might have been affected by the visuals of jumping at a different drop zone or by the longer freefall time that is common on wingsuit jumps. He was wearing a wrist-mounted visual altimeter but not an audible altimeter, which is recommended as a valuable backup device by providing reminders at several pre-assigned altitudes. However, some audible altimeters do not work during wingsuit jumps due to the slow descent rate associated with wingsuit flights. This jumper's altimeter indicated 1,000 feet above ground level when found on the scene, but the area was actually located just 100 feet higher than the DZ's landing area. The altimeter error could have resulted from its impact with the ground at a high rate of speed, or the jumper may have set it incorrectly before the skydive. This jumper's rig was not equipped with an automatic activation device. A functioning AAD may have deployed his reserve at a safe altitude, although it is possible for a wingsuit pilot to slow his descent rate in freefall below the speed required for most AADs to activate. Skydiver's Information Manual Section 6-9 recommends that beginning wingsuit jumpers initiate deployment no lower than 5,000 feet. Additionally, SIM Section 2-1 requires that students and A-license holders deploy their main parachute no lower than 3,000 feet AGL, B-license holders by 2,500 feet, and C- and D-license holders by 2,000 feet. As with many no-pull accidents, it is difficult to find a specific cause. |
Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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17/02/2008 | Mar del Plata, Argentina | NOP | N/? | 319 | #3130013 | ||
DropZone.com Description: In a tandem operation, the pilot fails to properly release the drogue. At about 1000 ft, he release the passenger handle, and main start to open, but not completely. The pair have a very hard landing, enough to kill them instantanealy. No AAD, no Audible Altimeter | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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17/02/2008 | Mar del Plata, Argentina | NOP | 45 | 600 | N/? | 317 | #3130013 |
DropZone.com Description: In a tandem operation, the pilot fails to properly release the drogue. At about 1000 ft, he release the passenger handle, and main start to open, but not completely. The pair have a very hard landing, enough to kill them instantanealy. No AAD, no Audible Altimeter | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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26/06/2008 | Pujaut, France | NOP | Y/ | 354 |   | ||
DropZone.com Description: Instructor noticed in freefall that his students chest strap was no longer correctly fastened. He tied the students chest strap to her harness but was unable to fully open his main parachute he struck the ground.It appears that his CYPRES was off on this jump. | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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03/07/2008 | Batavia, NY | NOP,MED? | 61 | 800 | N/ | 355 | #3258410 |
DropZone.com Description: Jumper was attending a Boogie and was getting recurrent after not jumping since the same boogie the previous year. He had recieved a refresher course before the jump including use of a BOC and flying the pattern under canopy.On this skydive he was doing a 2 way with another experienced jumper, at exit he rushed the door and did not give seperation between his group and the group in front of him. In freefall he was observed to be completing the formations until about 6000 feet where he broke off early and tracked away. He was seen falling 50-100 feet away from the previous group at 2500 feet unstable and head down. The jumper did not deploy any canopies. | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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22/08/2008 | OH | NOP,EXC | 21 | N/N |   | #3307712 | |
Description: The deceased jumped from a helicopter equipped with a single-parachute BASE container and a Phoenix-Fly Vampire V2 wingsuit. He was observed struggling to extract the pilot chute from the leg pouch of the wingsuit at a few hundred feet. He managed to deploy the pilot chute, but at a very low altitude with insufficent height to inflate the parachute and died on impact. | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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20/09/2008 | Sky Knights, WI | NOP,MED? | 53 | 5000 | N/? | 381 | #3339612 |
Description: The deceased was visiting the dropzone having brought along a tandem student, which he followed out. The tandem instructor said he appeared to have some kind of problem in freefall, was disorientated and tracked off early, disappearing out of sight. A civilian witness claims no parachute was visible. Police were first on the scene, sealing it off so no experts were able to examine it or the equipment. | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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28/09/2008 | Prostìjov, Czech Republic | NOP,MED? | 43 | 1256 | N/? | 384 |   |
DropZone.com Description: Jumper as on a 2-way RW jump from 4000m, perfect disengagement at 1500m but there was no attempt at pulling either canopy before the jumper hit the ground. This jumper did not use an AAD ,there is possibly health issues involved in this incident. | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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30/11/2008 | Nylstroom, South Africa | NOP, MED? | 23 | 98 | ?/N | 396 | #3408806 |
DropZone.com Description: Jumper was seen unstable under 3000 feet after breaking off from his formation jump. The jumper impacted with out pulling any handle. The jumper was said to have diabetes and did not have his medication with him but it is unclear if that played a factor in this incident or not. This jumper did not have an AAD. | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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26/12/2008 | Perris Valley, CA | NOP? | 33 | ?/? |   | #3436349 | |
Description: Thick layers of gloves affecting grasp on the BOC and soft reserve handles and slow deployment after a Cypres fire may have contributed to this fatality. | |||||||
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Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion |
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28/12/2008 | Freefall Express, MO | NOP | 37 | 300 | Y/Y |   | #3437662 |
Description: The deceased exited at approx. 10,000 ft AGL. Witnesses on the ground say that he deployed his main at a reasonable altitude judged to be approx. 3,500 ft. For some reason or another he deemed the parachute unairworthy and decided to perform a cutaway. Witnesses couldn't make out the problem with the main other than the fact that there seemed to be a problem and it probably warranted a chop. Anyhow, after the cutaway he was observed to be struggling or tumbling until impact with the reserve freebag leaving the container at about 50 ft off the ground. At this time we have no way of knowing whether it was turned on or ever activated. His rig was equipped with an RSL. At this time we have no way of knowing whether it was hooked up properly or failed. His reserve handle was pulled and found near the scene, it had no apparent kink in it from an RSL activation.The weather was cold and he was wearing bulky clothing which may have contributed to this fatality. | |||||||
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