What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Jackson jerome kern, the skydiver, exited the jump plane, N3879D, CE-182A, sn 34579, and following successful deployment of the parachute went into a clockwise spiral at approximately 1200-1000FT and impacted the ground at approximately 80MPH bouncing once and coming to rest as reported by experienced skydiver witnesses.
The incident occurred at 16845 antioch rd in White City, OR, approximately 0.8 miles from the Beagle Sky Ranch Airport (OR96) where the jump plane took off from. The witnesses found the skydiver to be unresponsive after providing first aid (cpr).
The following was extrapolated from a jackson county sheriff's office report, 17-21807, submitted by deputy david bartlett: the first responders arrived soon after and determined the skydiver to be deceased. Witness, privacy data omitted heard jackson kern state "slow down you son of a bitch," while he was in the spiral. A former safety and training advisor with the U.S. Parachute association (uspa) for Beagle sky ranch, michael burrill jr., arrived soon after the first responders to assist with the investigation. Mr. Burrill evaluated the condition of the harness at the scene before it was taken apart and transported to the sheriffs office. He concluded the main parachute right toggle was bound up in the stowed position. It was released from the keeper, but not the steering line. However, he was able to release it with light tension. It is possible that it had extra tension on it with jackson kern?s weight, while in flight, and could have been a cause for it not to be released easily. The stowed right toggle, and the eyewitness account of a spiraling canopy to the right are consistent.
During a phone interview by the FAA iic, Mr. Burrill said that he was able to successfully activate the 3-ring main parachute release system, which separates the main parachute from the harness, and that he verified it was rigged properly prior to releasing it at the scene. It therefore appears that jackson kern did not attempt to activate the main parachute release system or attempt to deploy the reserve parachute, as the pull chord to release the main parachute was still in tact and velcro'd to the harness. Separation of the main parachute would have allowed deployment of the reserve parachute.
Mr. Burrill addedthat jackson kern's age and cognitive ability may have played a role in his inability to recognize the malfunction of the main parachute and apply timely and corrective action. The bottom line is that no emergency procedures were implemented.
Jackson kern had approximately 2960 jumps and had been making jumps for about 25 years. He was affiliated with the Beagle boogie boys jump club which is not currently associated with the united states parachute association (usps). Based on an inspection by aviation safety inspector charles wright, the main paracute was determined to be a performance designs spectre 170 and the reserve parachute was a stunts adventure equipment eclipse.
As the FAA filed it
JACKSON JEROME KERN, THE SKYDIVER, EXITED THE JUMP PLANE, N3879D, CE-182A, SN 34579, AND FOLLOWING SUCCESSFUL DEPLOYMENT OF THE PARACHUTE WENT INTO A CLOCKWISE SPIRAL AT APPROXIMATELY 1200-1000FT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND AT APPROXIMATELY 80MPH BOUNCING ONCE AND COMING TO REST AS REPORTED BY EXPERIENCED SKYDIVER WITNESSES.
THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 16845 ANTIOCH RD IN WHITE CITY, OR, APPROXIMATELY 0.8 MILES FROM THE BEAGLE SKY RANCH AIRPORT (OR96) WHERE THE JUMP PLANE TOOK OFF FROM. THE WITNESSES FOUND THE SKYDIVER TO BE UNRESPONSIVE AFTER PROVIDING FIRST AID (CPR).
THE FOLLOWING WAS EXTRAPOLATED FROM A JACKSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORT, 17-21807, SUBMITTED BY DEPUTY DAVID BARTLETT: THE FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED SOON AFTER AND DETERMINED THE SKYDIVER TO BE DECEASED. WITNESS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HEARD JACKSON KERN STATE "SLOW DOWN YOU SON OF A BITCH," WHILE HE WAS IN THE SPIRAL. A FORMER SAFETY AND TRAINING ADVISOR WITH THE U.S. PARACHUTE ASSOCIATION (USPA) FOR BEAGLE SKY RANCH, MICHAEL BURRILL JR., ARRIVED SOON AFTER THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO ASSIST WITH THE INVESTIGATION. MR. BURRILL EVALUATED THE CONDITION OF THE HARNESS AT THE SCENE BEFORE IT WAS TAKEN APART AND TRANSPORTED TO THE SHERIFFS OFFICE. HE CONCLUDED THE MAIN PARACHUTE RIGHT TOGGLE WAS BOUND UP IN THE STOWED POSITION. IT WAS RELEASED FROM THE KEEPER, BUT NOT THE STEERING LINE. HOWEVER, HE WAS ABLE TO RELEASE IT WITH LIGHT TENSION. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT HAD EXTRA TENSION ON IT WITH JACKSON KERN?S WEIGHT, WHILE IN FLIGHT, AND COULD HAVE BEEN A CAUSE FOR IT NOT TO BE RELEASED EASILY. THE STOWED RIGHT TOGGLE, AND THE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF A SPIRALING CANOPY TO THE RIGHT ARE CONSISTENT.
DURING A PHONE INTERVIEW BY THE FAA IIC, MR. BURRILL SAID THAT HE WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY ACTIVATE THE 3-RING MAIN PARACHUTE RELEASE SYSTEM, WHICH SEPARATES THE MAIN PARACHUTE FROM THE HARNESS, AND THAT HE VERIFIED IT WAS RIGGED PROPERLY PRIOR TO RELEASING IT AT THE SCENE. IT THEREFORE APPEARS THAT JACKSON KERN DID NOT ATTEMPT TO ACTIVATE THE MAIN PARACHUTE RELEASE SYSTEM OR ATTEMPT TO DEPLOY THE RESERVE PARACHUTE, AS THE PULL CHORD TO RELEASE THE MAIN PARACHUTE WAS STILL IN TACT AND VELCRO'D TO THE HARNESS. SEPARATION OF THE MAIN PARACHUTE WOULD HAVE ALLOWED DEPLOYMENT OF THE RESERVE PARACHUTE.
MR. BURRILL ADDEDTHAT JACKSON KERN'S AGE AND COGNITIVE ABILITY MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN HIS INABILITY TO RECOGNIZE THE MALFUNCTION OF THE MAIN PARACHUTE AND APPLY TIMELY AND CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT NO EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WERE IMPLEMENTED.
JACKSON KERN HAD APPROXIMATELY 2960 JUMPS AND HAD BEEN MAKING JUMPS FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS. HE WAS AFFILIATED WITH THE BEAGLE BOOGIE BOYS JUMP CLUB WHICH IS NOT CURRENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNITED STATES PARACHUTE ASSOCIATION (USPS). BASED ON AN INSPECTION BY AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR CHARLES WRIGHT, THE MAIN PARACUTE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A PERFORMANCE DESIGNS SPECTRE 170 AND THE RESERVE PARACHUTE WAS A STUNTS ADVENTURE EQUIPMENT ECLIPSE.