20051029029619I

Incident · Damage unknown

FAA incident report · Aircraft · Thomaston, GA · October 29, 2005

Date: October 29, 2005 · 16:30 local
Place: Thomaston, GA
Airport: Thomaston-Upson County Airport
Phase of flight: Parachute Jumping
Operating rules: Parachute jumping (Part 105)
Damage: Damage unknown
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) During parachute jumping activity, the tandem jumper was fatally injured when he fell out of the tandem harness at approximately 10,000 feet MSL. The tandem jumper was a paraplegic; he did not have use of his legs. This may have contributed to the incident because he was unable to keep his legs together to help him stay in the harness. A video recording of the jump sequence indicates that the tandem harness was very loosely fitted around the tandem jumper's legs and buttocks, prior to exiting the aircraft. This improper fitting may have led to the incident. Upon exit from the aircraft and during initial stabilization, the tandem jumper immediately assumed a "butt-low" position in the saddle of the harness. When the tandem jump instructor activated his main parachute, the opening shock caused the tandem jumper to fall out of the harness. The tandem jumper plummeted through the trees and impacted the ground. The tandem jumper sustained fatal injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING PARACHUTE JUMPING ACTIVITY, THE TANDEM JUMPER WAS FATALLY INJURED WHEN HE FELL OUT OF THE TANDEM HARNESS AT APPROXIMATELY 10,000 FEET MSL. THE TANDEM JUMPER WAS A PARAPLEGIC; HE DID NOT HAVE USE OF HIS LEGS. THIS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT BECAUSE HE WAS UNABLE TO KEEP HIS LEGS TOGETHER TO HELP HIM STAY IN THE HARNESS. A VIDEO RECORDING OF THE JUMP SEQUENCE INDICATES THAT THE TANDEM HARNESS WAS VERY LOOSELY FITTED AROUND THE TANDEM JUMPER'S LEGS AND BUTTOCKS, PRIOR TO EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. THIS IMPROPER FITTING MAY HAVE LED TO THE INCIDENT. UPON EXIT FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND DURING INITIAL STABILIZATION, THE TANDEM JUMPER IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED A "BUTT-LOW" POSITION IN THE SADDLE OF THE HARNESS. WHEN THE TANDEM JUMP INSTRUCTOR ACTIVATED HIS MAIN PARACHUTE, THE OPENING SHOCK CAUSED THE TANDEM JUMPER TO FALL OUT OF THE HARNESS. THE TANDEM JUMPER PLUMMETED THROUGH THE TREES AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE TANDEM JUMPER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.