What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Skydiver (ke dime) exited the jump bird at approximately 5000 ft AGL for the purposes of practicing a "swooping" landing. (Swooping is a maneuver in which the skydiver operates his canopy so as to accelerate his vertical descent speed prior to landing. This allows the energy built up in descent to translate into forward speed at the time of flair which propels the skydiver forward just above the ground, if timed correctly.) This jump was a practice jump to for a swooping competition which was to be held the next weekend. Ke deployed his main canopy without incident and was operating / flying a fully deployed, properly operating canopy all the way to the ground. Witnesses stated that he performed a 270 degree left hand turn to final at the appropriate altitude. He was focusing on entering a "gate" area while on short final and failed to flair the canopy prior to impacting the ground. The skydiver landed in a high speed descent with his legs pulled up and hit on his buttocks. He impacted with sufficient force to bounce back into the air several feet and then came to rest near a packing structure on the south east corner of the landing zone.privacy data omitted Sustained a broken leg and back and was air evaced to the hospital. An update report from the hospital noted the he still had no feeling in his legs 10 days after the accident. This jumper had approximately 1500 skydives of which 200 were within the previous 6 months. The equipment (parachute rig) used in the jump was owned by ke. The main canopy was an icarus vx 89 canopy with a wing loading of 2 lbs per 1 sq. Ft. (considered to be an expert level wing loading canopy). According to the drop zone safety officer ke had been receiving "canopy piloting" training and did a lot of solo canopy oriented jumps. He was told by a local rigger that ke had between 50 and 100 jumps on this canopy and it had recently been re-lined for a more "aggressive" line trim, which would suggest a higher angle of incidence. This rigger indicated that ke had made about 15 jumps with this new line setting prior to the accident. He was also aware that the risers had been modified to reduce drag the day prior to the jump. The dz safety office also stated that he and ke had discussed the rig earlier in the day regarding the modifications which had been done to the canopy, as well as the high incidence of malfunctions which had been plaguing him. The canopy and rig are being examined by a master rigger at this time to determine whether there are any abnormalities which would affect the ability to flair the canopy.
As the FAA filed it
SKYDIVER (KE DIME) EXITED THE JUMP BIRD AT APPROXIMATELY 5000 FT AGL FOR THE PURPOSES OF PRACTICING A "SWOOPING" LANDING. (SWOOPING IS A MANEUVER IN WHICH THE SKYDIVER OPERATES HIS CANOPY SO AS TO ACCELERATE HIS VERTICAL DESCENT SPEED PRIOR TO LANDING. THIS ALLOWS THE ENERGY BUILT UP IN DESCENT TO TRANSLATE INTO FORWARD SPEED AT THE TIME OF FLAIR WHICH PROPELS THE SKYDIVER FORWARD JUST ABOVE THE GROUND, IF TIMED CORRECTLY.) THIS JUMP WAS A PRACTICE JUMP TO FOR A SWOOPING COMPETITION WHICH WAS TO BE HELD THE NEXT WEEKEND. KE DEPLOYED HIS MAIN CANOPY WITHOUT INCIDENT AND WAS OPERATING / FLYING A FULLY DEPLOYED, PROPERLY OPERATING CANOPY ALL THE WAY TO THE GROUND. WITNESSES STATED THAT HE PERFORMED A 270 DEGREE LEFT HAND TURN TO FINAL AT THE APPROPRIATE ALTITUDE. HE WAS FOCUSING ON ENTERING A "GATE" AREA WHILE ON SHORT FINAL AND FAILED TO FLAIR THE CANOPY PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE SKYDIVER LANDED IN A HIGH SPEED DESCENT WITH HIS LEGS PULLED UP AND HIT ON HIS BUTTOCKS. HE IMPACTED WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO BOUNCE BACK INTO THE AIR SEVERAL FEET AND THEN CAME TO REST NEAR A PACKING STRUCTURE ON THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THE LANDING ZONE.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUSTAINED A BROKEN LEG AND BACK AND WAS AIR EVACED TO THE HOSPITAL. AN UPDATE REPORT FROM THE HOSPITAL NOTED THE HE STILL HAD NO FEELING IN HIS LEGS 10 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.THIS JUMPER HAD APPROXIMATELY 1500 SKYDIVES OF WHICH 200 WERE WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 6 MONTHS. THE EQUIPMENT (PARACHUTE RIG) USED IN THE JUMP WAS OWNED BY KE. THE MAIN CANOPY WAS AN ICARUS VX 89 CANOPY WITH A WING LOADING OF 2 LBS PER 1 SQ. FT. (CONSIDERED TO BE AN EXPERT LEVEL WING LOADING CANOPY). ACCORDING TO THE DROP ZONE SAFETY OFFICER KE HAD BEEN RECEIVING "CANOPY PILOTING" TRAINING AND DID A LOT OF SOLO CANOPY ORIENTED JUMPS. HE WAS TOLD BY A LOCAL RIGGER THAT KE HAD BETWEEN 50 AND 100 JUMPS ON THIS CANOPY AND IT HAD RECENTLY BEEN RE-LINED FOR A MORE "AGGRESSIVE" LINE TRIM, WHICH WOULD SUGGEST A HIGHER ANGLE OF INCIDENCE. THIS RIGGER INDICATED THAT KE HAD MADE ABOUT 15 JUMPS WITH THIS NEW LINE SETTING PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE WAS ALSO AWARE THAT THE RISERS HAD BEEN MODIFIED TO REDUCE DRAG THE DAY PRIOR TO THE JUMP. THE DZ SAFETY OFFICE ALSO STATED THAT HE AND KE HAD DISCUSSED THE RIG EARLIER IN THE DAY REGARDING THE MODIFICATIONS WHICH HAD BEEN DONE TO THE CANOPY, AS WELL AS THE HIGH INCIDENCE OF MALFUNCTIONS WHICH HAD BEEN PLAGUING HIM.THE CANOPY AND RIG ARE BEING EXAMINED BY A MASTER RIGGER AT THIS TIME TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE ARE ANY ABNORMALITIES WHICH WOULD AFFECT THE ABILITY TO FLAIR THE CANOPY.
Other reports on N924MA · 7
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.