What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 1/21/2016 airman perished during skydiving parachute operations when he struck the ground while maneuvering under the main parachute canopy at sky dive Arizona jump zone, E60, Eloy Arizona.
Witnesses and various videos taken at the time of the incident verify that at approximately 100 feet above ground level (AGL) airman lost control of the parachute main canopy during an attempt to turn right to land. Airman impacted the ground at a near horizontal attitude and came to rest approximately 100 feet west of the landing zone. Medical examiners toxicology test results have not been received at the time of this report.
Airman?s skydiver logbook and the information provided by him on the jump zone wavier (assumption of risk agreement) indicate that he had 500 jumps over a twelve year period with 100 jumps in the six months prior to the incident. Airman logged 15 jumps at the incident location between 1/17/2016 and 1/19/2016. The records indicate that airman had ?cut away? The main canopy and deployed the reserve canopy because of a main canopy ?spinner? Event three days prior to the incident. The reserve canopy was locally inspected and repacked in accordance with the regulatory requirements on the same day following the ?cut away? Event. However, the main canopy, a performance designs inc. velocity ve 96P32 was not inspected on 1/18/2016 after the ?cut away? For the spinning event and there is no regulatory requirement for main canopy inspections.
Damage in the form of three tears in the performance designs inc. velocity ve 96P32 (sn ve 96 00-1942) main canopy top panel were discovered and documented during preliminary examination of the main canopy. The tears appeared chord wise just aft of the leading edge and varied between six to twelve inches in length. The damage originated along fold creases that correspond to a canopy storage technique associated with ?rigger rolling?.
It is not known whether the damage to the canopy occurred before or as a result of the impact with the ground.
In addition a (clamp) pull test was performed on two other sections of the canopy top panel and both failed to pass a minimum standard of 30 pounds. One section failed at 13 pounds and another failed at 21 pounds. A third section failed just by pulling with bare hands, without clamps or pull scale.
The riser, trim and other elements of the main canopy parachute pack rigging showed no other signs of abnormal wear. A detailed inspection may reveal other anomalies. The reserve pack and canopy was inspected and found to meet all the regulatory requirements.
As the FAA filed it
ON 1/21/2016 AIRMAN PERISHED DURING SKYDIVING PARACHUTE OPERATIONS WHEN HE STRUCK THE GROUND WHILE MANEUVERING UNDER THE MAIN PARACHUTE CANOPY AT SKY DIVE ARIZONA JUMP ZONE, E60, ELOY ARIZONA.
WITNESSES AND VARIOUS VIDEOS TAKEN AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT VERIFY THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AIRMAN LOST CONTROL OF THE PARACHUTE MAIN CANOPY DURING AN ATTEMPT TO TURN RIGHT TO LAND. AIRMAN IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A NEAR HORIZONTAL ATTITUDE AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET WEST OF THE LANDING ZONE. MEDICAL EXAMINERS TOXICOLOGY TEST RESULTS HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT.
AIRMAN?S SKYDIVER LOGBOOK AND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY HIM ON THE JUMP ZONE WAVIER (ASSUMPTION OF RISK AGREEMENT) INDICATE THAT HE HAD 500 JUMPS OVER A TWELVE YEAR PERIOD WITH 100 JUMPS IN THE SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. AIRMAN LOGGED 15 JUMPS AT THE INCIDENT LOCATION BETWEEN 1/17/2016 AND 1/19/2016. THE RECORDS INDICATE THAT AIRMAN HAD ?CUT AWAY? THE MAIN CANOPY AND DEPLOYED THE RESERVE CANOPY BECAUSE OF A MAIN CANOPY ?SPINNER? EVENT THREE DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE RESERVE CANOPY WAS LOCALLY INSPECTED AND REPACKED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS ON THE SAME DAY FOLLOWING THE ?CUT AWAY? EVENT. HOWEVER, THE MAIN CANOPY, A PERFORMANCE DESIGNS INC. VELOCITY VE 96P32 WAS NOT INSPECTED ON 1/18/2016 AFTER THE ?CUT AWAY? FOR THE SPINNING EVENT AND THERE IS NO REGULATORY REQUIREMENT FOR MAIN CANOPY INSPECTIONS.
DAMAGE IN THE FORM OF THREE TEARS IN THE PERFORMANCE DESIGNS INC. VELOCITY VE 96P32 (SN VE 96 00-1942) MAIN CANOPY TOP PANEL WERE DISCOVERED AND DOCUMENTED DURING PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE MAIN CANOPY. THE TEARS APPEARED CHORD WISE JUST AFT OF THE LEADING EDGE AND VARIED BETWEEN SIX TO TWELVE INCHES IN LENGTH. THE DAMAGE ORIGINATED ALONG FOLD CREASES THAT CORRESPOND TO A CANOPY STORAGE TECHNIQUE ASSOCIATED WITH ?RIGGER ROLLING?.
IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER THE DAMAGE TO THE CANOPY OCCURRED BEFORE OR AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.
IN ADDITION A (CLAMP) PULL TEST WAS PERFORMED ON TWO OTHER SECTIONS OF THE CANOPY TOP PANEL AND BOTH FAILED TO PASS A MINIMUM STANDARD OF 30 POUNDS. ONE SECTION FAILED AT 13 POUNDS AND ANOTHER FAILED AT 21 POUNDS. A THIRD SECTION FAILED JUST BY PULLING WITH BARE HANDS, WITHOUT CLAMPS OR PULL SCALE.
THE RISER, TRIM AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE MAIN CANOPY PARACHUTE PACK RIGGING SHOWED NO OTHER SIGNS OF ABNORMAL WEAR. A DETAILED INSPECTION MAY REVEAL OTHER ANOMALIES. THE RESERVE PACK AND CANOPY WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO MEET ALL THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.