What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While conducting a 200 person freefall formation jump two of the participants collided while under canopy at approximately 300 feet AGL. Both jumpers had successfully completed the freefall portion of the jump, had deployed their canopies, and were descending under fully operational parachutes. They descended under canopy as normal and were maneuvering for landing at the time they collided.
There were no eye witnesses to the actual collision. All witnesses? Statements only provided information about the moments after the collision. Other jumpers and witnesses on the ground remember seeing no abnormal or erratic canopy maneuvers in the area moments prior to the collision.
Witness statements indicate that the collision was heard on the ground and when were spinning and descending at an accelerated speed. There was insufficient altitude for the jumpers to deploy their reserve canopies and they both impacted the earth at the same time with their canopies still entangled.
One jumper (bernd schmehl) was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency medical response personnel attempted to resuscitate the other jumper (keiron o?rourke) and he was transported to the hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The jump occurred at the end of the day after 4 previous successful jumps by both participants. The sky was clear and the wind was light 3-5 mph out of the south-southwest. Jump coordinators had briefed all participants to comply with proper line-up while on final landing descent and all jumpers in the load were landing in a southerly direction.
The sun was setting at the time this formation load was descending under canopy and it is possible that the sunlight was a factor in visibility for those descending to land. Examination of the equipment was conducted on dec. 5 & 7, 2013 by an independent source. The following is information regarding the jumpers experience and the equipment involved:
Kieron o?rourke jump experience noted on skydive Arizona registration document: total jumps: 849
Jumps in last 6 months: 100
Time in sport: 4 yrs, 2 months
Harness /container sunpath javelin #35791
Color: black/royal blue (photo #8595)
Reserve canopy performance designs optimum #OP-0143-003641
Color: orange (photo #8633)
Main canopy aerodyne pilot 124 #PT-124-12490
Color: lime green/white/black (photo #8604)
Aad airtec cypres 2 #64333 (photo #8620)
Accessories none
Notes: no reserve packing card was found on the equipment.
The reserve was found intact.
Ripcord pull test performed to determine the opening force. Measurement showed 13.4# which is within the 22# maximum allowed. (Photo: #8624)
Bernd schmehl
Jump experience noted on skydive Arizona registration document:
Total jumps: 1707
Jumps in last 6 months: 80
Time in sport: 22 yrs
Harness/container thomas sports teardrop model 103B #6208
Color: royal blue w/ severe fading to almost black (photo # 8673)
Reserve canopy paratec model speed 150 #SP150-0068
Color: white (photo #8660)
Main canopy performance designs sabre 2-135 #SA135-000560 color: royal blue/white/purple (photo #8637)
Aad airtec cypres 2 #74013 (photo #8676)
Accessories larsen & brusgard optima audio altimeter
Para sport italia analog altimeter
Full face helmet
Weight belt
Notes: reserve packing data card shows last repack dated 1-24-13 by a german rigger. (Photo #8684)
Examination of the equipment did not reveal damage that would have been a cause for the collision
As the FAA filed it
WHILE CONDUCTING A 200 PERSON FREEFALL FORMATION JUMP TWO OF THE PARTICIPANTS COLLIDED WHILE UNDER CANOPY AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AGL. BOTH JUMPERS HAD SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE FREEFALL PORTION OF THE JUMP, HAD DEPLOYED THEIR CANOPIES, AND WERE DESCENDING UNDER FULLY OPERATIONAL PARACHUTES. THEY DESCENDED UNDER CANOPY AS NORMAL AND WERE MANEUVERING FOR LANDING AT THE TIME THEY COLLIDED.
THERE WERE NO EYE WITNESSES TO THE ACTUAL COLLISION. ALL WITNESSES? STATEMENTS ONLY PROVIDED INFORMATION ABOUT THE MOMENTS AFTER THE COLLISION. OTHER JUMPERS AND WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REMEMBER SEEING NO ABNORMAL OR ERRATIC CANOPY MANEUVERS IN THE AREA MOMENTS PRIOR TO THE COLLISION.
WITNESS STATEMENTS INDICATE THAT THE COLLISION WAS HEARD ON THE GROUND AND WHEN WERE SPINNING AND DESCENDING AT AN ACCELERATED SPEED. THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE FOR THE JUMPERS TO DEPLOY THEIR RESERVE CANOPIES AND THEY BOTH IMPACTED THE EARTH AT THE SAME TIME WITH THEIR CANOPIES STILL ENTANGLED.
ONE JUMPER (BERND SCHMEHL) WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE PERSONNEL ATTEMPTED TO RESUSCITATE THE OTHER JUMPER (KEIRON O?ROURKE) AND HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. HE LATER SUCCUMBED TO HIS INJURIES AND WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE HOSPITAL.
THE JUMP OCCURRED AT THE END OF THE DAY AFTER 4 PREVIOUS SUCCESSFUL JUMPS BY BOTH PARTICIPANTS. THE SKY WAS CLEAR AND THE WIND WAS LIGHT 3-5 MPH OUT OF THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST. JUMP COORDINATORS HAD BRIEFED ALL PARTICIPANTS TO COMPLY WITH PROPER LINE-UP WHILE ON FINAL LANDING DESCENT AND ALL JUMPERS IN THE LOAD WERE LANDING IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION.
THE SUN WAS SETTING AT THE TIME THIS FORMATION LOAD WAS DESCENDING UNDER CANOPY AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE SUNLIGHT WAS A FACTOR IN VISIBILITY FOR THOSE DESCENDING TO LAND. EXAMINATION OF THE EQUIPMENT WAS CONDUCTED ON DEC. 5 & 7, 2013 BY AN INDEPENDENT SOURCE. THE FOLLOWING IS INFORMATION REGARDING THE JUMPERS EXPERIENCE AND THE EQUIPMENT INVOLVED:
KIERON O?ROURKE JUMP EXPERIENCE NOTED ON SKYDIVE ARIZONA REGISTRATION DOCUMENT: TOTAL JUMPS: 849
JUMPS IN LAST 6 MONTHS: 100
TIME IN SPORT: 4 YRS, 2 MONTHS
HARNESS /CONTAINER SUNPATH JAVELIN #35791
COLOR: BLACK/ROYAL BLUE (PHOTO #8595)
RESERVE CANOPY PERFORMANCE DESIGNS OPTIMUM #OP-0143-003641
COLOR: ORANGE (PHOTO #8633)
MAIN CANOPY AERODYNE PILOT 124 #PT-124-12490
COLOR: LIME GREEN/WHITE/BLACK (PHOTO #8604)
AAD AIRTEC CYPRES 2 #64333 (PHOTO #8620)
ACCESSORIES NONE
NOTES: NO RESERVE PACKING CARD WAS FOUND ON THE EQUIPMENT.
THE RESERVE WAS FOUND INTACT.
RIPCORD PULL TEST PERFORMED TO DETERMINE THE OPENING FORCE. MEASUREMENT SHOWED 13.4# WHICH IS WITHIN THE 22# MAXIMUM ALLOWED. (PHOTO: #8624)
BERND SCHMEHL
JUMP EXPERIENCE NOTED ON SKYDIVE ARIZONA REGISTRATION DOCUMENT:
TOTAL JUMPS: 1707
JUMPS IN LAST 6 MONTHS: 80
TIME IN SPORT: 22 YRS
HARNESS/CONTAINER THOMAS SPORTS TEARDROP MODEL 103B #6208
COLOR: ROYAL BLUE W/ SEVERE FADING TO ALMOST BLACK (PHOTO # 8673)
RESERVE CANOPY PARATEC MODEL SPEED 150 #SP150-0068
COLOR: WHITE (PHOTO #8660)
MAIN CANOPY PERFORMANCE DESIGNS SABRE 2-135 #SA135-000560 COLOR: ROYAL BLUE/WHITE/PURPLE (PHOTO #8637)
AAD AIRTEC CYPRES 2 #74013 (PHOTO #8676)
ACCESSORIES LARSEN & BRUSGARD OPTIMA AUDIO ALTIMETER
PARA SPORT ITALIA ANALOG ALTIMETER
FULL FACE HELMET
WEIGHT BELT
NOTES: RESERVE PACKING DATA CARD SHOWS LAST REPACK DATED 1-24-13 BY A GERMAN RIGGER. (PHOTO #8684)
EXAMINATION OF THE EQUIPMENT DID NOT REVEAL DAMAGE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CAUSE FOR THE COLLISION
Other reports on N924MA · 7
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.