19960302007249I

Incident

FAA incident report · Aircraft · Amargosa, NV · March 2, 1996

Date
March 2, 1996 · 10:15 local
Place
Amargosa, NV
Airport
Jackass Aeropark Airport
Phase of flight
Parachute Jumping
Operating rules
Parachute jumping (Part 105)
Aircraft
UR042
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
1

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on Monday, March 18, 1996, at 15:15 EST, inspector donald f. miller, AEA-FSDO-23, witnessed the opening of the parachute which Mr. Donald kiefner was using for the jump at the jack ass airport in Nevada. The duffel bag which the chute was packed in was opened in the second floor examining room at the tonawanda police station in tonawanda, new york. Mr. Paul gath, senior rigger #12132366, who is the safety and training advisor for the western new york chapter and an instructor examiner, #D4924, conducted the inspection of the chute. Lieutenant james carney of the tonawanda police was also present and has custody of the chute. The parachute record log, which was copied by o. boyd, was incorrect for the reserve chute and out of the 120 day requirement of FAR 105.43 (a)(1). The record log found in the reserve chute pocket was also out of the required 120 day inspection. When the parachute was removed from the duffel bag, the throw-out spring was already deployed but the reserve pack was still intact except the "d" ring and lanyard securing the pack was missing. The reserve chute was manufactured by para-flite, s/n RS-2197. The main chute when opened was considered unairworthy due to many patches and poor condition by Mr. Paul gath. The main chute was manufactured by detango on March 29, 1985. The model is dragon fly and the s/n is D122. Mr. Kiefner had approximately 35 jumps.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1996, AT 15:15 EST, INSPECTOR DONALD F. MILLER, AEA-FSDO-23, WITNESSED THE OPENING OF THE PARACHUTE WHICH MR. DONALD KIEFNER WAS USING FOR THE JUMP AT THE JACK ASS AIRPORT IN NEVADA. THE DUFFEL BAG WHICH THE CHUTE WAS PACKED IN WAS OPENED IN THE SECOND FLOOR EXAMINING ROOM AT THE TONAWANDA POLICE STATION IN TONAWANDA, NEW YORK. MR. PAUL GATH, SENIOR RIGGER #12132366, WHO IS THE SAFETY AND TRAINING ADVISOR FOR THE WESTERN NEW YORK CHAPTER AND AN INSTRUCTOR EXAMINER, #D4924, CONDUCTED THE INSPECTION OF THE CHUTE. LIEUTENANT JAMES CARNEY OF THE TONAWANDA POLICE WAS ALSO PRESENT AND HAS CUSTODY OF THE CHUTE. THE PARACHUTE RECORD LOG, WHICH WAS COPIED BY O. BOYD, WAS INCORRECT FOR THE RESERVE CHUTE AND OUT OF THE 120 DAY REQUIREMENT OF FAR 105.43 (A)(1). THE RECORD LOG FOUND IN THE RESERVE CHUTE POCKET WAS ALSO OUT OF THE REQUIRED 120 DAY INSPECTION. WHEN THE PARACHUTE WAS REMOVED FROM THE DUFFEL BAG, THE THROW-OUT SPRING WAS ALREADY DEPLOYED BUT THE RESERVE PACK WAS STILL INTACT EXCEPT THE "D" RING AND LANYARD SECURING THE PACK WAS MISSING. THE RESERVE CHUTE WAS MANUFACTURED BY PARA-FLITE, S/N RS-2197. THE MAIN CHUTE WHEN OPENED WAS CONSIDERED UNAIRWORTHY DUE TO MANY PATCHES AND POOR CONDITION BY MR. PAUL GATH. THE MAIN CHUTE WAS MANUFACTURED BY DETANGO ON MARCH 29, 1985. THE MODEL IS DRAGON FLY AND THE S/N IS D122. MR. KIEFNER HAD APPROXIMATELY 35 JUMPS.