What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Dpre assessment of incident & iic concurrence:
On Sunday may 31, 2018, there was a skydiving fatality that occurred at approximately 1515 EST at the Chester municipal airport. The parachute operation is operated by skydive carolina located at 1903 king air drive-Chester, SC 29706.
The victim was carolyn clay, age 68 of williamsburg, VA. Mrs. Clay was a very experienced skydiver with over 19,000 skydives recorded with about 46 years in the sport.
Per your request, I have investigated this incident; listed below are the results of that investigation.
Mrs. Clay exited the airplane, a de havilland twin otter, at approximately 13,500 feet AGL with three other jumpers. The freefall was uneventful. The jumpers broke off (separated) the skydive at approximately 4,200 feet AGL to deploy their main parachute canopies. One of the jumpers noticed that Mrs. Clay?s parachute opened immediately with a spinning turn. The turn continued until impact with the ground. This jumper followed Mrs. Clay down to the impact area. During the descent, the jumper noted that Mrs. Clay was not responding to the situation as her hands were hanging by her side.
Mrs. Clay was jumping a performance designs inc. parachute canopy. This parachute canopy was provided by the company as a ?demo? For prospective customers to test jump. The model was a pd storm 170 sq. Ft. canopy. Mrs. Clay had jumped this canopy the day before three different times with no known issues. On the day of the accident, it was her forth jump with this canopy.
Post analysis of the canopy revealed that the left lower control was broken. This is an 1100LB tensile strength line. The canopy also had other damage consistent of a severe hard opening. Witnesses on the ground confirmed there was an extremely loud opening.
The canopy was not packed by Mrs. Clay but packed by a paid packer operating on the for skydive carolina! This packer was identified by several sources as a person that holds a FAA senior rigger certificate. I contacted the packer in question by phone and she denied packing the parachute for Mrs. Clay.
In summary:
? The parachute canopy was in good working order and within specifications. The canopy has been in service for almost seven (7) years with zero reports of hard openings prior to this jump.
? Mrs. Clay was unresponsive after the abrupt opening. Information from the coroner indicated a ruptured aorta which is consistent to other related hard opening fatalities.
? Mrs. Clay did not pack the parachute canopy for this jump. It was packed by a paid packer
? From reports, the paid packer was packing parachutes in a manner different than the manufacturer?s published packing instructions.
? I spoke with the manufacturer who agreed that packing was the issue in this accident.
? I also agree that packing was the sole issue in this incident.
Note: following several inquiries, the iic could not determine who packed Mrs. Clay's parachute (certified or non-certified packer).
See office file for the inspection report from the canopy manufacturer.
As the FAA filed it
DPRE ASSESSMENT OF INCIDENT & IIC CONCURRENCE:
ON SUNDAY MAY 31, 2018, THERE WAS A SKYDIVING FATALITY THAT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 1515 EST AT THE CHESTER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE PARACHUTE OPERATION IS OPERATED BY SKYDIVE CAROLINA LOCATED AT 1903 KING AIR DRIVE-CHESTER, SC 29706.
THE VICTIM WAS CAROLYN CLAY, AGE 68 OF WILLIAMSBURG, VA. MRS. CLAY WAS A VERY EXPERIENCED SKYDIVER WITH OVER 19,000 SKYDIVES RECORDED WITH ABOUT 46 YEARS IN THE SPORT.
PER YOUR REQUEST, I HAVE INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT; LISTED BELOW ARE THE RESULTS OF THAT INVESTIGATION.
MRS. CLAY EXITED THE AIRPLANE, A DE HAVILLAND TWIN OTTER, AT APPROXIMATELY 13,500 FEET AGL WITH THREE OTHER JUMPERS. THE FREEFALL WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE JUMPERS BROKE OFF (SEPARATED) THE SKYDIVE AT APPROXIMATELY 4,200 FEET AGL TO DEPLOY THEIR MAIN PARACHUTE CANOPIES. ONE OF THE JUMPERS NOTICED THAT MRS. CLAY?S PARACHUTE OPENED IMMEDIATELY WITH A SPINNING TURN. THE TURN CONTINUED UNTIL IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THIS JUMPER FOLLOWED MRS. CLAY DOWN TO THE IMPACT AREA. DURING THE DESCENT, THE JUMPER NOTED THAT MRS. CLAY WAS NOT RESPONDING TO THE SITUATION AS HER HANDS WERE HANGING BY HER SIDE.
MRS. CLAY WAS JUMPING A PERFORMANCE DESIGNS INC. PARACHUTE CANOPY. THIS PARACHUTE CANOPY WAS PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AS A ?DEMO? FOR PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS TO TEST JUMP. THE MODEL WAS A PD STORM 170 SQ. FT. CANOPY. MRS. CLAY HAD JUMPED THIS CANOPY THE DAY BEFORE THREE DIFFERENT TIMES WITH NO KNOWN ISSUES. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, IT WAS HER FORTH JUMP WITH THIS CANOPY.
POST ANALYSIS OF THE CANOPY REVEALED THAT THE LEFT LOWER CONTROL WAS BROKEN. THIS IS AN 1100LB TENSILE STRENGTH LINE. THE CANOPY ALSO HAD OTHER DAMAGE CONSISTENT OF A SEVERE HARD OPENING. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND CONFIRMED THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY LOUD OPENING.
THE CANOPY WAS NOT PACKED BY MRS. CLAY BUT PACKED BY A PAID PACKER OPERATING ON THE FOR SKYDIVE CAROLINA! THIS PACKER WAS IDENTIFIED BY SEVERAL SOURCES AS A PERSON THAT HOLDS A FAA SENIOR RIGGER CERTIFICATE. I CONTACTED THE PACKER IN QUESTION BY PHONE AND SHE DENIED PACKING THE PARACHUTE FOR MRS. CLAY.
IN SUMMARY:
? THE PARACHUTE CANOPY WAS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. THE CANOPY HAS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR ALMOST SEVEN (7) YEARS WITH ZERO REPORTS OF HARD OPENINGS PRIOR TO THIS JUMP.
? MRS. CLAY WAS UNRESPONSIVE AFTER THE ABRUPT OPENING. INFORMATION FROM THE CORONER INDICATED A RUPTURED AORTA WHICH IS CONSISTENT TO OTHER RELATED HARD OPENING FATALITIES.
? MRS. CLAY DID NOT PACK THE PARACHUTE CANOPY FOR THIS JUMP. IT WAS PACKED BY A PAID PACKER
? FROM REPORTS, THE PAID PACKER WAS PACKING PARACHUTES IN A MANNER DIFFERENT THAN THE MANUFACTURER?S PUBLISHED PACKING INSTRUCTIONS.
? I SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER WHO AGREED THAT PACKING WAS THE ISSUE IN THIS ACCIDENT.
? I ALSO AGREE THAT PACKING WAS THE SOLE ISSUE IN THIS INCIDENT.
NOTE: FOLLOWING SEVERAL INQUIRIES, THE IIC COULD NOT DETERMINE WHO PACKED MRS. CLAY'S PARACHUTE (CERTIFIED OR NON-CERTIFIED PACKER).
SEE OFFICE FILE FOR THE INSPECTION REPORT FROM THE CANOPY MANUFACTURER.
Other reports on N190KM · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.