What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The skydiver has approximately 2 years experience with 172 jumps.
Aerodyne smart 220 #12841 reserve parachute manufactured 3-1-13
Aerodyne icon # IN-17-12526 main parachute manufactured 1-13
Vigil mutimode #28191 automatic activation device manufactured week 17-2012
Reserve repacked and inspected by a certified rigger 9-2013.
The skydiver exited the aircraft with 3 other skydivers at 10,300 feet. All 4 skydivers performed formation work until they broke formation at 4000 ft. above ground level. The skydiver was wearing a wing suit which is used to enhance the skydiver's glide distance. This suit could possibly upset the skydiver's stability. The skydiver tracked away from group and reached for the throw-out pilot chute to deploy the main parachute and could not find the ?hacky? Attached to the pilot chute. The skydiver reached for the pilot chute for the second time which caused him to roll on to his back. The skydiver rolled back to stable skydive position and started emergency procedures. He arched, which is the position used by skydivers to orient the front of their torso to the relative wind.
He looked and was unable to locate his reserve parachute deployment handle. The skydiver used both hands as he felt for and located his left harness to attempt to locate the reserve parachute deployment handle which is located on the left harness web. He moved his hand down from top to bottom and was unable to locate the handle.
The skydiver then assumed the delta position, which is a freefall position with legs extended and arms back to initiate a forward dive. The skydiver did a front flip to attempt to assume a stable freefall position. Just as he reached a stable position his automatic activation device (aad) activated deploying his reserve parachute. The aad activated at 750 feet above the ground.
As he swung under his reserve canopy he spotted the ground. He was still moving very fast. His recording altimeter recorded a speed of 148 miles per hour just prior to aad activation.
The skydiver thought he needed to activate his rear risers to help slow down his vertical speed. He did not think he had time to release the brakes on the canopy prior to striking the ground. The brake handles are located on the canopy risers just above the skydiver?s head when the canopy is deployed. Just as he looked up to grab the rear risers he noticed that his canopy was not fully opened, possibly from a combination of vertical and forward speed from not being in a stable position. When the skydiver looked back down he was still moving very fast. He attempted to relax just prior to impacting the ground. He was still coming straight down feet first and unable to execute a proper parachute landing fall (plf) which is utilized to help minimize the chance of injury from a hard landing under a parachute.
It was reported that the skydiver had just returned to jumping a couple of weeks prior to the incident after a short break due to some minor heart issues and surgery.
The data from the skydiver?s digital recording altimeter showed that on two of his last five jumps had shown an opening altitude of 1300 feet above the ground. Normal opening altitude is approximately 2500 above the ground.
As the FAA filed it
THE SKYDIVER HAS APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS EXPERIENCE WITH 172 JUMPS.
AERODYNE SMART 220 #12841 RESERVE PARACHUTE MANUFACTURED 3-1-13
AERODYNE ICON # IN-17-12526 MAIN PARACHUTE MANUFACTURED 1-13
VIGIL MUTIMODE #28191 AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE MANUFACTURED WEEK 17-2012
RESERVE REPACKED AND INSPECTED BY A CERTIFIED RIGGER 9-2013.
THE SKYDIVER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH 3 OTHER SKYDIVERS AT 10,300 FEET. ALL 4 SKYDIVERS PERFORMED FORMATION WORK UNTIL THEY BROKE FORMATION AT 4000 FT. ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE SKYDIVER WAS WEARING A WING SUIT WHICH IS USED TO ENHANCE THE SKYDIVER'S GLIDE DISTANCE. THIS SUIT COULD POSSIBLY UPSET THE SKYDIVER'S STABILITY. THE SKYDIVER TRACKED AWAY FROM GROUP AND REACHED FOR THE THROW-OUT PILOT CHUTE TO DEPLOY THE MAIN PARACHUTE AND COULD NOT FIND THE ?HACKY? ATTACHED TO THE PILOT CHUTE. THE SKYDIVER REACHED FOR THE PILOT CHUTE FOR THE SECOND TIME WHICH CAUSED HIM TO ROLL ON TO HIS BACK. THE SKYDIVER ROLLED BACK TO STABLE SKYDIVE POSITION AND STARTED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. HE ARCHED, WHICH IS THE POSITION USED BY SKYDIVERS TO ORIENT THE FRONT OF THEIR TORSO TO THE RELATIVE WIND.
HE LOOKED AND WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE HIS RESERVE PARACHUTE DEPLOYMENT HANDLE. THE SKYDIVER USED BOTH HANDS AS HE FELT FOR AND LOCATED HIS LEFT HARNESS TO ATTEMPT TO LOCATE THE RESERVE PARACHUTE DEPLOYMENT HANDLE WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE LEFT HARNESS WEB. HE MOVED HIS HAND DOWN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM AND WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE HANDLE.
THE SKYDIVER THEN ASSUMED THE DELTA POSITION, WHICH IS A FREEFALL POSITION WITH LEGS EXTENDED AND ARMS BACK TO INITIATE A FORWARD DIVE. THE SKYDIVER DID A FRONT FLIP TO ATTEMPT TO ASSUME A STABLE FREEFALL POSITION. JUST AS HE REACHED A STABLE POSITION HIS AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE (AAD) ACTIVATED DEPLOYING HIS RESERVE PARACHUTE. THE AAD ACTIVATED AT 750 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.
AS HE SWUNG UNDER HIS RESERVE CANOPY HE SPOTTED THE GROUND. HE WAS STILL MOVING VERY FAST. HIS RECORDING ALTIMETER RECORDED A SPEED OF 148 MILES PER HOUR JUST PRIOR TO AAD ACTIVATION.
THE SKYDIVER THOUGHT HE NEEDED TO ACTIVATE HIS REAR RISERS TO HELP SLOW DOWN HIS VERTICAL SPEED. HE DID NOT THINK HE HAD TIME TO RELEASE THE BRAKES ON THE CANOPY PRIOR TO STRIKING THE GROUND. THE BRAKE HANDLES ARE LOCATED ON THE CANOPY RISERS JUST ABOVE THE SKYDIVER?S HEAD WHEN THE CANOPY IS DEPLOYED. JUST AS HE LOOKED UP TO GRAB THE REAR RISERS HE NOTICED THAT HIS CANOPY WAS NOT FULLY OPENED, POSSIBLY FROM A COMBINATION OF VERTICAL AND FORWARD SPEED FROM NOT BEING IN A STABLE POSITION. WHEN THE SKYDIVER LOOKED BACK DOWN HE WAS STILL MOVING VERY FAST. HE ATTEMPTED TO RELAX JUST PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE GROUND. HE WAS STILL COMING STRAIGHT DOWN FEET FIRST AND UNABLE TO EXECUTE A PROPER PARACHUTE LANDING FALL (PLF) WHICH IS UTILIZED TO HELP MINIMIZE THE CHANCE OF INJURY FROM A HARD LANDING UNDER A PARACHUTE.
IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE SKYDIVER HAD JUST RETURNED TO JUMPING A COUPLE OF WEEKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AFTER A SHORT BREAK DUE TO SOME MINOR HEART ISSUES AND SURGERY.
THE DATA FROM THE SKYDIVER?S DIGITAL RECORDING ALTIMETER SHOWED THAT ON TWO OF HIS LAST FIVE JUMPS HAD SHOWN AN OPENING ALTITUDE OF 1300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. NORMAL OPENING ALTITUDE IS APPROXIMATELY 2500 ABOVE THE GROUND.
Other reports on N8882X · 6
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.