1 Matches (out of a total of 833 incidents)
  1. Date Location Category Age # Jumps AAD?/RSL? Dropzone.com Report Dropzone.com Discussion
    18/08/2001 Wernhout, Netherlands CCOL 44 49 Y/Y    
    Description: Two jumpers collided at an altitude aof about 60'. One person was seriously injured, and the other died, crashing into a large tree. It was a windy day, and students were not being allowed to jump.
    Lessons:More info appreciated. (This sounds oddly familiar to another incident on the same day -- could be a confusion somewhere?)
    KNVvL Description: A jumpmaster drops in one run an unlicensed freefaller, a SL-jumper with 19 jumps and a SL-jumper with 49 jumps. After dropping the JM also leaves the plane. Exit altitude is 3500 foot. Weather conditions are favourable: ground winds are less than 10 kts and uppers are max 20 kts. The freefaller lands first on the indicated landing zone. Shortly after him the JM lands second. At that moment the two SL-jumpers are in their landing pattern.
    The SL-er who jumped first (jumper 1) approaches his 250-ft point high and has to perform some sashays to land near his target. The second SL-er (jumper 2) still flies upwind from the target at that point in time. To reach the target in time, shortly he flies downwind in the direction of jumper 1. While jumper 1 makes a final sashay to the left, jumper 2 turns to final. With both jumpers now very near each other horizontally and vertically, a canopy collision at now low altitude is unavoidable. The left leading edge of the canopy of jumper 2 strikes the left side of the canopy of jumper 1. Also the bodies of both jumpers hit each other.
    Jumper 1's main canopy collapses and jumper 1 goes straight down. He hits the ground hard en breaks his pubic bone and left wrist.Jumper 2 has a twist in his risers from the collision. He flies backward towards a number of trees in a field next to the DZ. He impacts a tree trunk with his back hard.
    The instructional staff present on the DZ dial 112 and the clubhouse, and perform first aid. In a few moments, a first ambulance arrives and takes Jumper 1 to the hospital. Jumper 2 is reanimated and artificially respirated by ambulance and trauma-helicopter staff, but to no avail.
    KNVvL Conclusions:Conclusions:

    * The canopy collision could happen because both jumpers did not look out good enough in the last part of their landing pattern.
    * It can not be ruled out jumper 2 was low in his left hand landing pattern, causing him to end up in jumper 1's pattern in opposite direction.
    * Jumper 2 was killed by the tree strike. Had he landed on the ground the outcome need not have been fatal.

    Recommendations:

    * Continuously look around during canopy flight and stay alert at all times. Always be aware of position and flying direction of other canopy pilots. Evade oncoming traffic to the right.
    * Start your left hand landing pattern at the correct altitude, neither too high (so as not to hinder other jumpers) nor too low (to prevent low turns).
    * Choose an empty space on the DZ. Not everyone has to land on the target.
    Name Foort Dekker