OpenAirDocs.org

20140809015149I

Incident · No damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Cessna 182 · Ottawa, KS · August 9, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
August 9, 2014 · 18:15 local
Place
Ottawa, KS
Airport
Ottawa Municipal
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Parachute jumping (Part 105)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N3353B
Reported as
Cessna 182
Reported engine
Continental O-470R
People aboard
0
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N3353BRegistration cancelled Jul 30, 2018 · Cessna 182S/N 33533 · Built 1956Airframe modelCessna 182Engine modelContinental O-470RReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

At approximately 1815 hours local Mr. Brad giffin, later deceased, along with 2 other skydivers exited the aircraft. The first 2 skydivers to exit the aircraft were a united states parachute association (uspa) licensed tandem skydiver with a student attached. The next 2 skydivers were another uspa licensed skydiver and Mr. Giffin exited the aircraft together and stabilized in freefall. Mr. Giffin made 2 attempts to link up with the other skydiver and succeded on the second attempt. At that point the 2 skydivers separated and tracked away from each other. Just prior to the 2 skydivers linking up it was noted from a video from Mr. Giffin's helmet camera that their altitude as viewed was 3100 ft. above ground level (AGL). At this point Mr. Giffin is seen in the video touching hands with the other skydiver and then tracking away. Mr. Giffin then attempts to deploy his main parachute and is unsucessful. Just before impact with the ground Mr. Giffin is seen pulling the reserve deployment handle on his parachute. The reserve parachute did not have sufficient time to deploy prior to Mr. Giffin impacting the ground. The resulting impact was fatal to Mr. Giffin.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 1815 HOURS LOCAL MR. BRAD GIFFIN, LATER DECEASED, ALONG WITH 2 OTHER SKYDIVERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE FIRST 2 SKYDIVERS TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WERE A UNITED STATES PARACHUTE ASSOCIATION (USPA) LICENSED TANDEM SKYDIVER WITH A STUDENT ATTACHED. THE NEXT 2 SKYDIVERS WERE ANOTHER USPA LICENSED SKYDIVER AND MR. GIFFIN EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TOGETHER AND STABILIZED IN FREEFALL. MR. GIFFIN MADE 2 ATTEMPTS TO LINK UP WITH THE OTHER SKYDIVER AND SUCCEDED ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT. AT THAT POINT THE 2 SKYDIVERS SEPARATED AND TRACKED AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. JUST PRIOR TO THE 2 SKYDIVERS LINKING UP IT WAS NOTED FROM A VIDEO FROM MR. GIFFIN'S HELMET CAMERA THAT THEIR ALTITUDE AS VIEWED WAS 3100 FT. ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). AT THIS POINT MR. GIFFIN IS SEEN IN THE VIDEO TOUCHING HANDS WITH THE OTHER SKYDIVER AND THEN TRACKING AWAY. MR. GIFFIN THEN ATTEMPTS TO DEPLOY HIS MAIN PARACHUTE AND IS UNSUCESSFUL. JUST BEFORE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND MR. GIFFIN IS SEEN PULLING THE RESERVE DEPLOYMENT HANDLE ON HIS PARACHUTE. THE RESERVE PARACHUTE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO DEPLOY PRIOR TO MR. GIFFIN IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE RESULTING IMPACT WAS FATAL TO MR. GIFFIN.