20071021823989I

(-23) JUMP DATE: OCTOBER 21, 2007 APPROXIMATELY 1 PM, THE JUMPER DIED OCTOBER 23, 3:28 IN MCV HOSPITAL. DECEASED NAME: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TRAINED ON THE GROUND FOR HIS FIFTH SKYDIVE (THE PREVIOUS 4 HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE PAST 30 DAYS OR SO). THE CLIMB TO ALTITUDE AND EXIT FROM THE AIRPLANE AT 14,000 FEET WAS UNEVENTFUL, WITH HIS INSTRUCTOR EXITING IN FREEFALL NEXT TO HIM TO OBSERVE AND ASSIST IF NECESSARY. HE INITIALLY COULD NOT CONTROL HIS HEADING, RESULTING IN A FLAT SPIN. THE INSTRUCTOR FLEW TO HIM AND DOCKED FOR A SECOND TO STOP HIS SPIN. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM A PRACTICE TOUCH OF HIS MAIN DEPLOYMENT HANDLE, WHICH WAS PART OF THE PLAN FOR FREEFALL MANEUVERS. HE THEN BECAME UNSTABLE AND ROLLED ON HIS BACK, INVERTED. HIS FREEFALL SPEED INCREASED SLIGHTLY AS HE WAS BENT AT THE WAIST IN A PIKE POSITION, FALLING WITH HIS BACK TO EARTH AND SLOWLY SPINNING. THE INSTRUCTOR MADE AN ATTEMPT TO DOCK ON HIM AGAIN TO ASSIST, AND HE WAS KICKED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SPINNING LEGS. THE INSTRUCTOR MADE ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO DOCK ON ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WHEN HE SAW HIM REACH FOR HIS MAIN DEPLOYMENT HANDLE, THE INSTRUCTOR BACKED UP TO AVOID THE MAIN CANOPY AS IT DEPLOYED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THREW HIS MAIN CANOPY PILOT CHUTE WHICH STARTED THE MAIN DEPLOYMENT, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS STILL IN A BACK-TO-EARTH POSITI0N AT 10,000 FEET AGL. THE MAIN CANOPY DEPLOYED TO HIS RIGHT SIDE, AND CAUSED HIM TO FLIP RAPIDLY AS IT INFLATED. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE UNUSUAL DEPLOYMENT ATTITUDE AND FLIPPING MOTION CAUSED THE PARACHUTE HARNESS TO PULL ON HIS PELVIS IN AN UNEVEN WAY AND CAUSED HIS PELVIC BONE TO SEPARATE. THE MAIN CANOPY SUSPENSION LINES HAD MANY TWISTS, HOWEVER THE PARACHUTE WAS FULLY INFLATED AND HAD SLOWED HIS DESCENT. THE MAIN CANOPY WAS NOT INFLATED BUT SPINNING SLOWLY DUE TO THE LINE TWISTS. A SECOND OR TWO LATER HE RELEASED THE MAIN CANOPY AND THE RESERVE OPENED PERFECTLY. HE THEN FLEW THE RESERVE TO A SOFT LANDING IN THE MAIN LANDING AREA AT FYJ. ONCE HE WAS ON THE GROUND HE WAS LUCID AND AWARE OF HIS SITUATION. HE COMPLAINED OF PAIN IN HIS RIGHT REAR HIP AREA. LIFE EVAC MEDICS WHO ARE BASED AT FYJ EXAMINED HIM, AND ONCE THEY DETERMINED HIS BLOOD PRESSURE WAS UNUSUALLY LOW HE WAS AIR LIFTED TO MCV WITH SUSPECTED INTERNAL INJURIES. THE EQUIPMENT INFORMATION FOR THE GEAR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS USING. ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT IS OWNED BY WEST POINT SKYDIVING ADVENTURES AND SUPPLIED BY THEM FOR THE JUMP. HARNESS AND CONTAINER, SUN PATH STUDENT JAVELIN, SN 30980, MANUFACTURED NOVEMBER, 2006, RESERVE PARACHUTE, PERFORMANCE DESIGNS PD-281R, SN 38569, MANUFACTURED OCTOBER, 2006, THE RESERVE REPACK DATE FOR THE SYSTEM WAS AUGUST 26, 2007 BY SENIOR RIGGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SEAL NUMBER RWD, AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE, ADVANCED AEROSPACE DESIGNS VIGIL, SN 4012, MANUFACTURED JULY, 2005, MAIN CANOPY, PERFORMANCE DESIGNS NAVIGATOR, SN NA-280 00700, MANUFACTURED JANUARY, 2001, PACKED 10/21/2007 BY SENIOR RIGGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SEAL NUMER RWD.