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19960316017839I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Dhav DHC6 · Eloy, AZ · March 16, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 16, 1996 · 13:40 local
Place
Eloy, AZ
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N930MA
Reported as
Dhav DHC6
People aboard
12
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
850 total140 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

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 March 16, 1996, at approximately 1340 hours, MS. Johanne lauzon, a citizen of Canada, suffered fatal injuries after failing to deploy her main or reserve parachute for unknown reasons. Although not a highly experienced jumper, her training history, logbook entries, etc. Show no obvious reason for this accident. (39 jumps total, 9 in the last 6 months.) The equipment she was using was the same type she had training on and the same that was used by her on a jump earlier on the same day of the accident. The equipment used was a vector harness and container system, a PD210 main canopy, and a pd 218R reserve canopy, all of which were inspected by Mr. Tony frost (master rigger, dpre) and found to be properly packed and in good serviceable condition. No violation of the far's were discovered. Toxicology tests were negative and nothing was found to indicate pre-impact incapacitation. Examination of the harness and container system revealed the main canopy release handle had been pulled and both main riggers released. Mr. Frost stated that if properly operated, the equipment should have operated normally. He also believes the victim may have been pulling the leg straps and thought she had a malfunction of the main canopy, explaining the main canopy release handle being pulled. Ms. Lauzon was a member of cspa #6467 with cspa license #A5178.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON MARCH 16, 1996, AT APPROXIMATELY 1340 HOURS, MS. JOHANNE LAUZON, A CITIZEN OF CANADA, SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES AFTER FAILING TO DEPLOY HER MAIN OR RESERVE PARACHUTE FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. ALTHOUGH NOT A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED JUMPER, HER TRAINING HISTORY, LOGBOOK ENTRIES, ETC. SHOW NO OBVIOUS REASON FOR THIS ACCIDENT. (39 JUMPS TOTAL, 9 IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS.) THE EQUIPMENT SHE WAS USING WAS THE SAME TYPE SHE HAD TRAINING ON AND THE SAME THAT WAS USED BY HER ON A JUMP EARLIER ON THE SAME DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE EQUIPMENT USED WAS A VECTOR HARNESS AND CONTAINER SYSTEM, A PD210 MAIN CANOPY, AND A PD 218R RESERVE CANOPY, ALL OF WHICH WERE INSPECTED BY MR. TONY FROST (MASTER RIGGER, DPRE) AND FOUND TO BE PROPERLY PACKED AND IN GOOD SERVICEABLE CONDITION. NO VIOLATION OF THE FAR'S WERE DISCOVERED. TOXICOLOGY TESTS WERE NEGATIVE AND NOTHING WAS FOUND TO INDICATE PRE-IMPACT INCAPACITATION. EXAMINATION OF THE HARNESS AND CONTAINER SYSTEM REVEALED THE MAIN CANOPY RELEASE HANDLE HAD BEEN PULLED AND BOTH MAIN RIGGERS RELEASED. MR. FROST STATED THAT IF PROPERLY OPERATED, THE EQUIPMENT SHOULD HAVE OPERATED NORMALLY. HE ALSO BELIEVES THE VICTIM MAY HAVE BEEN PULLING THE LEG STRAPS AND THOUGHT SHE HAD A MALFUNCTION OF THE MAIN CANOPY, EXPLAINING THE MAIN CANOPY RELEASE HANDLE BEING PULLED. MS. LAUZON WAS A MEMBER OF CSPA #6467 WITH CSPA LICENSE #A5178.