What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During a 222 way skydiving formation attempt the jumper flew in the formation and deployed her canopy at approximately 2000 AGL. Witnesses stated they observed the jumper under a malfunctioning canopy in a clockwise spin. The jumper continued to descend under the spinning canopy and was observed trying to "kick out" of line twist as the rate of spin increased. After approximately 15 seconds the jumper cut away from the malfunctioning main and attempted to get a stable body position. Observers stated that they saw white material (reserve canopy) emerge just before the jumper impacted the earth and a dust cloud was seen.
Observers who were jumping near the spinning canopy landed near the jumper to provide first aid but determined she was deceased.
The jumper had just over 1350 jumps and was wearing the following equipment:
Harness & container: micro
Main canopy: performance design sabre ii (135 sq ft canopy)
Reserve canopy: paratec speed (135 sq ft canopy)
Aad equipment: cypres C2 expert (manufactured 1/2011, 4 year maintenance due 1/2015)
The jumper was wearing an automatic opening devise (cypres) which was later analyzed by the manufacturer. The altitude and airspeed read-outs for the last jump were retrieved from the unit. Readings from the unit correlate with the witness statements:
The graph of activation starts at an altitude of aprox 3150 ft AGL. Vertical speed down to altitude of aprox 2100 ft AGL registered at 127 mph. From 2100 ft AGL to 1770 ft AGL a decrease in speed reaching value of aprox 22 mph and below. From 1770 ft AGL down to aprox 620 ft AGL for duration of aprox 14.5 seconds the vertical speed averaged 53 mph. The vertical speed then slowly increased to values above 78 mph. The unit activated at aprox 390 ft AGL due to the fact that the vertical speed was above the activation criteria of and "expert" cypres which is set at 78 mph.
As the FAA filed it
DURING A 222 WAY SKYDIVING FORMATION ATTEMPT THE JUMPER FLEW IN THE FORMATION AND DEPLOYED HER CANOPY AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 AGL. WITNESSES STATED THEY OBSERVED THE JUMPER UNDER A MALFUNCTIONING CANOPY IN A CLOCKWISE SPIN. THE JUMPER CONTINUED TO DESCEND UNDER THE SPINNING CANOPY AND WAS OBSERVED TRYING TO "KICK OUT" OF LINE TWIST AS THE RATE OF SPIN INCREASED. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15 SECONDS THE JUMPER CUT AWAY FROM THE MALFUNCTIONING MAIN AND ATTEMPTED TO GET A STABLE BODY POSITION. OBSERVERS STATED THAT THEY SAW WHITE MATERIAL (RESERVE CANOPY) EMERGE JUST BEFORE THE JUMPER IMPACTED THE EARTH AND A DUST CLOUD WAS SEEN.
OBSERVERS WHO WERE JUMPING NEAR THE SPINNING CANOPY LANDED NEAR THE JUMPER TO PROVIDE FIRST AID BUT DETERMINED SHE WAS DECEASED.
THE JUMPER HAD JUST OVER 1350 JUMPS AND WAS WEARING THE FOLLOWING EQUIPMENT:
HARNESS & CONTAINER: MICRO
MAIN CANOPY: PERFORMANCE DESIGN SABRE II (135 SQ FT CANOPY)
RESERVE CANOPY: PARATEC SPEED (135 SQ FT CANOPY)
AAD EQUIPMENT: CYPRES C2 EXPERT (MANUFACTURED 1/2011, 4 YEAR MAINTENANCE DUE 1/2015)
THE JUMPER WAS WEARING AN AUTOMATIC OPENING DEVISE (CYPRES) WHICH WAS LATER ANALYZED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED READ-OUTS FOR THE LAST JUMP WERE RETRIEVED FROM THE UNIT. READINGS FROM THE UNIT CORRELATE WITH THE WITNESS STATEMENTS:
THE GRAPH OF ACTIVATION STARTS AT AN ALTITUDE OF APROX 3150 FT AGL. VERTICAL SPEED DOWN TO ALTITUDE OF APROX 2100 FT AGL REGISTERED AT 127 MPH. FROM 2100 FT AGL TO 1770 FT AGL A DECREASE IN SPEED REACHING VALUE OF APROX 22 MPH AND BELOW. FROM 1770 FT AGL DOWN TO APROX 620 FT AGL FOR DURATION OF APROX 14.5 SECONDS THE VERTICAL SPEED AVERAGED 53 MPH. THE VERTICAL SPEED THEN SLOWLY INCREASED TO VALUES ABOVE 78 MPH. THE UNIT ACTIVATED AT APROX 390 FT AGL DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE VERTICAL SPEED WAS ABOVE THE ACTIVATION CRITERIA OF AND "EXPERT" CYPRES WHICH IS SET AT 78 MPH.
Other reports on N204BD · 4
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