# Incident 19961005040249I: Cessna 182A, Portage, WI, October 5, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 5, 1996, 15:23 local time
- Place: Portage, WI
- Airport: Portage Municipal Airport
- Phase of flight: Parachute Jumping
- Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
- Location: 43.5603° N, 89.4829° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at PORTAGE MUNI (C47), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.5603&lon=-89.4829&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6161B, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6161B) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 182A (registry code 2072704, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 182A
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 288 total, 40 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961005040249I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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