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20050810021389I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Aircraft · Rantoul, IL · August 10, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 10, 2005 · 16:00 local
Place
Rantoul, IL
Airport
Rantoul Natl Avn Cntr-F Elliot
Phase of flight
Parachute Jumping
Operating rules
Parachute jumping (Part 105)
Aircraft
UNKNOWN
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.

(-23) privacy data omitted skydiver conducting first jump of the day, free-fell from altitude and deployed his main chute at 1900 ft above ground according to the 'pro-track' (a small electronic device used as an audible alarm for altitude awareness and data storage). This was 600 feet lower than the altitude of 2500 feet above ground, the recommended altitude for deployment of the main chute acceptable to the uspa for this diver's experience level. The skydiver had logged 76 jumps prior to this incident. Witness statements report what appeared to be a fully inflated chute over the deceased several seconds before he cut away from the main chute. At approximately 450 feet above ground, the reserve chute was activated by the airtec 'cyprus' (an automatic deployment device). This was an insufficient altitude for a full deployment of the reserve chute prior to ground impact. The skydiver sustained fatal injuries as a result of this low altitude deployment. An inspection of the main and reserve parachutes and associated electronic equipment, did not determine any areas of malfunction. This incident is closed with this report.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA ^ SKYDIVER CONDUCTING FIRST JUMP OF THE DAY, FREE-FELL FROM ALTITUDE AND DEPLOYED HIS MAIN CHUTE AT 1900 FT ABOVE GROUND ACCORDING TO THE 'PRO-TRACK' (A SMALL ELECTRONIC DEVICE USED AS AN AUDIBLE ALARM FOR ALTITUDE AWARENESS AND DATA STORAGE). THIS WAS 600 FEET LOWER THAN THE ALTITUDE OF 2500 FEET ABOVE GROUND, THE RECOMMENDED ALTITUDE FOR DEPLOYMENT OF THE MAIN CHUTE ACCEPTABLE TO THE USPA FOR THIS DIVER'S EXPERIENCE LEVEL. THE SKYDIVER HAD LOGGED 76 JUMPS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. WITNESS STATEMENTS REPORT WHAT APPEARED TO BE A FULLY INFLATED CHUTE OVER THE DECEASED SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE HE CUT AWAY FROM THE MAIN CHUTE. AT APPROXIMATELY 450 FEET ABOVE GROUND, THE RESERVE CHUTE WAS ACTIVATED BY THE AIRTEC 'CYPRUS' (AN AUTOMATIC DEPLOYMENT DEVICE). THIS WAS AN INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE FOR A FULL DEPLOYMENT OF THE RESERVE CHUTE PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT. THE SKYDIVER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THIS LOW ALTITUDE DEPLOYMENT. AN INSPECTION OF THE MAIN AND RESERVE PARACHUTES AND ASSOCIATED ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, DID NOT DETERMINE ANY AREAS OF MALFUNCTION. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT.