What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Jumper left the aircraft at approx 14,ooo ft AGL equipped for a military high altitude high opening freefall type jump. Part of the military equipment worn during the jump was an equipment bag (bergan) strapped between the jumpers legs. Videos obtained from the aircraft mounted video system shows the jumper tumbled onto his back shortly after exiting the aircraft. The jumper could be seen falling away from the aircraft and appeared to continue tumbling. There were no indications of any parachute deployment visible during the length of the video.
Three other jumpers on the same load had exited the aircraft prior to the final jumper and never had a visual on him thruout their jump.
It was not till later that the operation realized the jumper had not returned. Search & rescue found the body and equipment in an area away from the dropzone.
The jumper was found dead at the landing spot. Further review of pictures taken at the scene showed that both the main and reserve deployment bags were clear of the harness and container system. Neither deployment bag had fully unstowed(released) all of their lines, and were still enclosing the canopy inside the bag. All canopy lines (both main and reserve) going from the deployment bags back towards the harness were severely twisted and entangled together. The main canopy risers had been released from the harness at the 3 ring release, and they were entangled in with the other twisted canopy lines. As was the main canopy pilot chute bridle cord.
The bergen pack was found resting directly next to both deployment bags but the attachment hardware did not appear broken. They appeared to have been already unhooked at time of impact. Similarly, neither of the jumpers? Leg straps were fastened at the harness attachment clips. There were at least one set of canopy lines (3-4 lines) wrapped around the jumpers left foot just above his jump boot.
Equipment involved consisted of:
1. Danish special forces variant of the military freefall/droquefall system manufactured in the usa by complete parachute systems inc. of deland Florida.
2. Including airtec ?cypres? Automatic activation device, altitrac altimeter/logger, and a radio / tracking board.
3. ? Bergan? Style rucksack weighing approximately 60LBS.
As the FAA filed it
JUMPER LEFT THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROX 14,OOO FT AGL EQUIPPED FOR A MILITARY HIGH ALTITUDE HIGH OPENING FREEFALL TYPE JUMP. PART OF THE MILITARY EQUIPMENT WORN DURING THE JUMP WAS AN EQUIPMENT BAG (BERGAN) STRAPPED BETWEEN THE JUMPERS LEGS. VIDEOS OBTAINED FROM THE AIRCRAFT MOUNTED VIDEO SYSTEM SHOWS THE JUMPER TUMBLED ONTO HIS BACK SHORTLY AFTER EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. THE JUMPER COULD BE SEEN FALLING AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND APPEARED TO CONTINUE TUMBLING. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF ANY PARACHUTE DEPLOYMENT VISIBLE DURING THE LENGTH OF THE VIDEO.
THREE OTHER JUMPERS ON THE SAME LOAD HAD EXITED THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE FINAL JUMPER AND NEVER HAD A VISUAL ON HIM THRUOUT THEIR JUMP.
IT WAS NOT TILL LATER THAT THE OPERATION REALIZED THE JUMPER HAD NOT RETURNED. SEARCH & RESCUE FOUND THE BODY AND EQUIPMENT IN AN AREA AWAY FROM THE DROPZONE.
THE JUMPER WAS FOUND DEAD AT THE LANDING SPOT. FURTHER REVIEW OF PICTURES TAKEN AT THE SCENE SHOWED THAT BOTH THE MAIN AND RESERVE DEPLOYMENT BAGS WERE CLEAR OF THE HARNESS AND CONTAINER SYSTEM. NEITHER DEPLOYMENT BAG HAD FULLY UNSTOWED(RELEASED) ALL OF THEIR LINES, AND WERE STILL ENCLOSING THE CANOPY INSIDE THE BAG. ALL CANOPY LINES (BOTH MAIN AND RESERVE) GOING FROM THE DEPLOYMENT BAGS BACK TOWARDS THE HARNESS WERE SEVERELY TWISTED AND ENTANGLED TOGETHER. THE MAIN CANOPY RISERS HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HARNESS AT THE 3 RING RELEASE, AND THEY WERE ENTANGLED IN WITH THE OTHER TWISTED CANOPY LINES. AS WAS THE MAIN CANOPY PILOT CHUTE BRIDLE CORD.
THE BERGEN PACK WAS FOUND RESTING DIRECTLY NEXT TO BOTH DEPLOYMENT BAGS BUT THE ATTACHMENT HARDWARE DID NOT APPEAR BROKEN. THEY APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN ALREADY UNHOOKED AT TIME OF IMPACT. SIMILARLY, NEITHER OF THE JUMPERS? LEG STRAPS WERE FASTENED AT THE HARNESS ATTACHMENT CLIPS. THERE WERE AT LEAST ONE SET OF CANOPY LINES (3-4 LINES) WRAPPED AROUND THE JUMPERS LEFT FOOT JUST ABOVE HIS JUMP BOOT.
EQUIPMENT INVOLVED CONSISTED OF:
1. DANISH SPECIAL FORCES VARIANT OF THE MILITARY FREEFALL/DROQUEFALL SYSTEM MANUFACTURED IN THE USA BY COMPLETE PARACHUTE SYSTEMS INC. OF DELAND FLORIDA.
2. INCLUDING AIRTEC ?CYPRES? AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE, ALTITRAC ALTIMETER/LOGGER, AND A RADIO / TRACKING BOARD.
3. ? BERGAN? STYLE RUCKSACK WEIGHING APPROXIMATELY 60LBS.
Other reports on N41LH · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.