What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Sunday may 04, 2014, there was a skydiving fatality that occurred at approximately 1505 EST at the Chester municipal airport.
The victim was wolfgang peter langehans, age 65. Peter was a very experienced skydiver with thousands of skydives recorded over about 30 years in the sport.
Per iic's request, I (FAA, dpre & FAA master parachute rigger) have investigated this incident on two separate occasions by means of visiting the drop zone that pete was operating from. Once on Friday, may 16, 2014 and again on Thursday, may 22, 2014. The name for this drop zone is skydive carolina, inc., located at 1903 king air drive, Chester SC 29706.
In attendance on the may 16th visit was Mr. Steve vaughn (FAA senior rigger), Mr. Gene stuart (FAA senior rigger), and myself.
Peter was wearing the following:
? Sun path products javelin harness and container
? Performance designs PD143R reserve canopy
? Airtec cypres ii aad
? Nz aerosports jfx 99 main canopy.
We inspected the gear and reviewed the video from Mr. Langehans? Camera. I have formed the following opinion:
1. The main canopy malfunctioned as a result of a packing error. It seems that the canopy was not properly cleared of fabric and the line continuity was an issue as a result.
2. Mr. Langehans did not, in my opinion, follow proper emergency procedures in responding to this malfunction.
He first tried to fix the main canopy by un-stowing the brakes; this in fact made the malfunctioning main canopy accelerate its spinning.
Also when he did cutaway the main canopy, he immediately afterward pulled the reserve ripcord, activating the reserve pilot chute while still on his back. The proper procedure would have been to wait until he was back into a belly-to-earth position thus giving the reserve parachute a cleaner, unrestricted deployment.
When Mr. Langehans activated the reserve parachute, the vertical relative airstream pushed the reserve pilot chute and attaching bridal back into and around Mr. Langehans? Body as evidenced by the video. The bridal then entangled with the camera/video helmet that he was wearing at the time. It is thought by general consensus that it was in at least two places.
These two locations are at the rear entry door of the helmet and the other at the ring sight.
These entanglements continued until Mr. Langehans impacted, thus resulting in fatal injuries.
To summarize; the TSO?d equipment (reserve parachute system) worked as designed and no flaws were detected in the operation or maintenance of those items.
This was confirmed in the second visit on may 22, 2014 when I asked the harness container manufacturer to come and also evaluate the equipment. The following along with myself were present:
Brian krause ? Sun path customer support director
Bruce robertson ? Sun path operations director ? FAA master rigger
Jeff johnston ? Sun path engineering manager ? FAA master rigger
Gene stuart ? FAA senior rigger
Matthew mundry ? FAA senior rigger
Steve vaughn ? FAA senior rigger
Danny smith ? FAA senior rigger
Again, no problems with the reserve parachute components were detected and proper maintenance of these TSO?d items were found to be in order in accordance with FAR 65.111.
The main contributors to this fatality were the main canopy malfunction and the deployment of the reserve while upside down, thus causing the entanglement.
As the FAA filed it
ON SUNDAY MAY 04, 2014, THERE WAS A SKYDIVING FATALITY THAT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 1505 EST AT THE CHESTER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.
THE VICTIM WAS WOLFGANG PETER LANGEHANS, AGE 65. PETER WAS A VERY EXPERIENCED SKYDIVER WITH THOUSANDS OF SKYDIVES RECORDED OVER ABOUT 30 YEARS IN THE SPORT.
PER IIC'S REQUEST, I (FAA, DPRE & FAA MASTER PARACHUTE RIGGER) HAVE INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS BY MEANS OF VISITING THE DROP ZONE THAT PETE WAS OPERATING FROM. ONCE ON FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014 AND AGAIN ON THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2014. THE NAME FOR THIS DROP ZONE IS SKYDIVE CAROLINA, INC., LOCATED AT 1903 KING AIR DRIVE, CHESTER SC 29706.
IN ATTENDANCE ON THE MAY 16TH VISIT WAS MR. STEVE VAUGHN (FAA SENIOR RIGGER), MR. GENE STUART (FAA SENIOR RIGGER), AND MYSELF.
PETER WAS WEARING THE FOLLOWING:
? SUN PATH PRODUCTS JAVELIN HARNESS AND CONTAINER
? PERFORMANCE DESIGNS PD143R RESERVE CANOPY
? AIRTEC CYPRES II AAD
? NZ AEROSPORTS JFX 99 MAIN CANOPY.
WE INSPECTED THE GEAR AND REVIEWED THE VIDEO FROM MR. LANGEHANS? CAMERA. I HAVE FORMED THE FOLLOWING OPINION:
1. THE MAIN CANOPY MALFUNCTIONED AS A RESULT OF A PACKING ERROR. IT SEEMS THAT THE CANOPY WAS NOT PROPERLY CLEARED OF FABRIC AND THE LINE CONTINUITY WAS AN ISSUE AS A RESULT.
2. MR. LANGEHANS DID NOT, IN MY OPINION, FOLLOW PROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURES IN RESPONDING TO THIS MALFUNCTION.
HE FIRST TRIED TO FIX THE MAIN CANOPY BY UN-STOWING THE BRAKES; THIS IN FACT MADE THE MALFUNCTIONING MAIN CANOPY ACCELERATE ITS SPINNING.
ALSO WHEN HE DID CUTAWAY THE MAIN CANOPY, HE IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD PULLED THE RESERVE RIPCORD, ACTIVATING THE RESERVE PILOT CHUTE WHILE STILL ON HIS BACK. THE PROPER PROCEDURE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO WAIT UNTIL HE WAS BACK INTO A BELLY-TO-EARTH POSITION THUS GIVING THE RESERVE PARACHUTE A CLEANER, UNRESTRICTED DEPLOYMENT.
WHEN MR. LANGEHANS ACTIVATED THE RESERVE PARACHUTE, THE VERTICAL RELATIVE AIRSTREAM PUSHED THE RESERVE PILOT CHUTE AND ATTACHING BRIDAL BACK INTO AND AROUND MR. LANGEHANS? BODY AS EVIDENCED BY THE VIDEO. THE BRIDAL THEN ENTANGLED WITH THE CAMERA/VIDEO HELMET THAT HE WAS WEARING AT THE TIME. IT IS THOUGHT BY GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT IT WAS IN AT LEAST TWO PLACES.
THESE TWO LOCATIONS ARE AT THE REAR ENTRY DOOR OF THE HELMET AND THE OTHER AT THE RING SIGHT.
THESE ENTANGLEMENTS CONTINUED UNTIL MR. LANGEHANS IMPACTED, THUS RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES.
TO SUMMARIZE; THE TSO?D EQUIPMENT (RESERVE PARACHUTE SYSTEM) WORKED AS DESIGNED AND NO FLAWS WERE DETECTED IN THE OPERATION OR MAINTENANCE OF THOSE ITEMS.
THIS WAS CONFIRMED IN THE SECOND VISIT ON MAY 22, 2014 WHEN I ASKED THE HARNESS CONTAINER MANUFACTURER TO COME AND ALSO EVALUATE THE EQUIPMENT. THE FOLLOWING ALONG WITH MYSELF WERE PRESENT:
BRIAN KRAUSE ? SUN PATH CUSTOMER SUPPORT DIRECTOR
BRUCE ROBERTSON ? SUN PATH OPERATIONS DIRECTOR ? FAA MASTER RIGGER
JEFF JOHNSTON ? SUN PATH ENGINEERING MANAGER ? FAA MASTER RIGGER
GENE STUART ? FAA SENIOR RIGGER
MATTHEW MUNDRY ? FAA SENIOR RIGGER
STEVE VAUGHN ? FAA SENIOR RIGGER
DANNY SMITH ? FAA SENIOR RIGGER
AGAIN, NO PROBLEMS WITH THE RESERVE PARACHUTE COMPONENTS WERE DETECTED AND PROPER MAINTENANCE OF THESE TSO?D ITEMS WERE FOUND TO BE IN ORDER IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 65.111.
THE MAIN CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS FATALITY WERE THE MAIN CANOPY MALFUNCTION AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE RESERVE WHILE UPSIDE DOWN, THUS CAUSING THE ENTANGLEMENT.
Other reports on N1114A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.