| Date | Location | Category | Age | # Jumps | AAD?/RSL? | Dropzone.com Report | Dropzone.com Discussion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/07/2005 | Skydive California City, CA | MAL | 59 | 374 | Y/? | 131 | #1720126 | |
| DropZone.com Description: "After a ""normal"" skydive, the group broke off at 4500', everyone tracked off and pulled. After getting under his main a jumper noticed Doc under a violently spinning malfunctioning main canopy, one half of the canopy was collapsed. At first it appeared that Doc was attempting his emergency procedures, but after several more revolutions it then appeared that he was not taking any actions. Doc’s canopy continued to spin out of control until impact with the ground. Gear examination at the scene showed at least 2 broken lines and tension knots. Later examination showed an entire line group broke on opening." |
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| USPA Description: After an uneventful 8-way group skydive, this jumper deployed his main canopy at 2,300 feet. A very hard opening caused four broken lines on the front left line group. The main canopy immediately began to spin, and the jumper stayed with the spinning canopy all the way to the ground. He received immediate first aid at the scene but died on impact due to blunt head, neck and chest trauma. | ||||||||
| USPA Conclusions:This was the jumper’s second jump on this equipment and the first time he had packed this canopy himself. Witness reports indicate that he may have been moving slightly or possibly unconscious during the canopy descent, but either way, he did not execute emergency procedures. The descent rate under the spinning main canopy was too slow to activate his AAD. Most skydivers experience very hard openings of the main canopy sometime during their skydiving careers. The severity of the openings varies widely, and injuries can range from slight bruising or muscle strains to internal injuries with fatal results. Jumpers should pack carefully according to the manufacturer’s recommendations to reduce the chance of hard openings and to help ensure that the canopy opens correctly. Other factors that can affect a canopy opening are the jumper’s air speed and the density altitude at which the canopy is deployed, although neither appears to have been a factor in this accident. | ||||||||
| Name | Stephen Nelson Rathbun | |||||||