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19961005040249I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Cessna 182A · Portage, WI · October 5, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 5, 1996 · 15:23 local
Place
Portage, WI
Airport
Portage Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Parachute Jumping
Operating rules
Parachute jumping (Part 105)
Aircraft
N6161B
Reported as
Cessna 182A
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
288 total40 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N6161BRegistered now · Cessna 182AS/N 34161 · Built 1957Airframe modelCessna 182AEngine modelContinental O-470 seriesReciprocating

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: N6161B, Cessna 182, October 5, 1996, Portage, WI jumper; sanja vukovic, (f. d/o/b 03/03/62) education & training of jumper: sanja vukovic: received her initial skydiving instruction from azure skydivers club, inc. on 10/5/96 the day of the incident, at Portage, WI. She was conducting her first parachute jump after receiving the instruction. The in aircraft instructor was kent leathers and the on ground instructor was allen jones of Wisconsin dells, WI. The azure skydivers club, inc. student checklist for sanja vukovic was unsigned and undated. Description of parachutes & packing record: the parachute used was a strong enterprises starlite manufactured by strong enterprises in February 1981. Master main canopy manufactured by glidepath international, style-maverick, s/n MK1009. Main parachute pilot chute style-throw-out/hand deploy. Harness and container manufactured February 1981, p/n 1051, s/n-not legible. Reserve parachute manufactured by pioneer aerospace corporation in may 1971, s/n 67220. Reserve pilot chute manufactured by reliance manufacturing company in January 1958, type -MA-1 p/n 53J7205. The main parachute was reported to be packed by kent leathers, steve schotten and allen jones on the day of the incident none of which are certificated parachute riggers. The reserve parachute was inspected and packed on April 13, 1995 by mike parrott who is a master certified parachute rigger no 345466555. On October 5, 1996, at approximately 1500 CDT, Cessna 182, N6161B, operated by private pilot chet leathers, certificate no. 397562401 departed the Portage Municipal Airport (C47) Portage, WI with four (4) passengers on board for the purpose of parachute jumping. The aircraft obtained an altitude of 4,000 feet MSL. The first jumper exited and jumped without incident. Kent leathers the on board instructor stated sanja vukovic, exited the aircraft and her main chute started to deploy but the main deployment bag did not come off like it should. Allen jones, the on ground instructor stated he instructed Ms. Vukovic via radio to cutaway. Ms. Vukovic was instructed several times to cutaway. Witness reported she cutaway and her main canopy was found in a near by tree. Ms. Vukovic impacted the ground and was fatally injured. The reserve canopy was found out of it's container but not deployed. The emergency handle used to cutaway and deploy the reserve parachute was found broken and only the portion which remains in the emergency handle pocket was available for inspection. This was still attached to the main parachute cutaway cables and the reserve parachute ripcord. This incident and report are closed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: N6161B, CESSNA 182, OCTOBER 5, 1996, PORTAGE, WI JUMPER; SANJA VUKOVIC, (F. D/O/B 03/03/62) EDUCATION & TRAINING OF JUMPER: SANJA VUKOVIC: RECEIVED HER INITIAL SKYDIVING INSTRUCTION FROM AZURE SKYDIVERS CLUB, INC. ON 10/5/96 THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, AT PORTAGE, WI. SHE WAS CONDUCTING HER FIRST PARACHUTE JUMP AFTER RECEIVING THE INSTRUCTION. THE IN AIRCRAFT INSTRUCTOR WAS KENT LEATHERS AND THE ON GROUND INSTRUCTOR WAS ALLEN JONES OF WISCONSIN DELLS, WI. THE AZURE SKYDIVERS CLUB, INC. STUDENT CHECKLIST FOR SANJA VUKOVIC WAS UNSIGNED AND UNDATED. DESCRIPTION OF PARACHUTES & PACKING RECORD: THE PARACHUTE USED WAS A STRONG ENTERPRISES STARLITE MANUFACTURED BY STRONG ENTERPRISES IN FEBRUARY 1981. MASTER MAIN CANOPY MANUFACTURED BY GLIDEPATH INTERNATIONAL, STYLE-MAVERICK, S/N MK1009. MAIN PARACHUTE PILOT CHUTE STYLE-THROW-OUT/HAND DEPLOY. HARNESS AND CONTAINER MANUFACTURED FEBRUARY 1981, P/N 1051, S/N-NOT LEGIBLE. RESERVE PARACHUTE MANUFACTURED BY PIONEER AEROSPACE CORPORATION IN MAY 1971, S/N 67220. RESERVE PILOT CHUTE MANUFACTURED BY RELIANCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY IN JANUARY 1958, TYPE -MA-1 P/N 53J7205. THE MAIN PARACHUTE WAS REPORTED TO BE PACKED BY KENT LEATHERS, STEVE SCHOTTEN AND ALLEN JONES ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT NONE OF WHICH ARE CERTIFICATED PARACHUTE RIGGERS. THE RESERVE PARACHUTE WAS INSPECTED AND PACKED ON APRIL 13, 1995 BY MIKE PARROTT WHO IS A MASTER CERTIFIED PARACHUTE RIGGER NO 345466555. ON OCTOBER 5, 1996, AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 CDT, CESSNA 182, N6161B, OPERATED BY PRIVATE PILOT CHET LEATHERS, CERTIFICATE NO. 397562401 DEPARTED THE PORTAGE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (C47) PORTAGE, WI WITH FOUR (4) PASSENGERS ON BOARD FOR THE PURPOSE OF PARACHUTE JUMPING. THE AIRCRAFT OBTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF 4,000 FEET MSL. THE FIRST JUMPER EXITED AND JUMPED WITHOUT INCIDENT. KENT LEATHERS THE ON BOARD INSTRUCTOR STATED SANJA VUKOVIC, EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND HER MAIN CHUTE STARTED TO DEPLOY BUT THE MAIN DEPLOYMENT BAG DID NOT COME OFF LIKE IT SHOULD. ALLEN JONES, THE ON GROUND INSTRUCTOR STATED HE INSTRUCTED MS. VUKOVIC VIA RADIO TO CUTAWAY. MS. VUKOVIC WAS INSTRUCTED SEVERAL TIMES TO CUTAWAY. WITNESS REPORTED SHE CUTAWAY AND HER MAIN CANOPY WAS FOUND IN A NEAR BY TREE. MS. VUKOVIC IMPACTED THE GROUND AND WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE RESERVE CANOPY WAS FOUND OUT OF IT'S CONTAINER BUT NOT DEPLOYED. THE EMERGENCY HANDLE USED TO CUTAWAY AND DEPLOY THE RESERVE PARACHUTE WAS FOUND BROKEN AND ONLY THE PORTION WHICH REMAINS IN THE EMERGENCY HANDLE POCKET WAS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. THIS WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE MAIN PARACHUTE CUTAWAY CABLES AND THE RESERVE PARACHUTE RIPCORD. THIS INCIDENT AND REPORT ARE CLOSED.