What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The parachute jump aircraft departed cross keys airport (17N) Williamstown, NJ with 15 jumpers enroute to a jump altitude of 13,500 feet. The parachute jumper who sustained fatal injuries had over 740 jumps on record and was jumping in a wingsuit. Video from the fatality along with witness statements give the following sequence of what occurred: there was no indication of any issue with the jumper or his equipment. Exit from the aircraft and wingsuit flight was uneventful. At the point of deploying his main parachute he appears to be low and unstable. Upon reserve parachute deployment it had twisted lines and entanglement. The victim appears to attempt to troubleshoot the main but does not make any attempt at cut away/release the main parachute. The reserve parachute auto deploys due to low altitude but immediately becomes entangled in the main parachute. Fatal impact occurred in the street in front of privacy data omitted
An onsite investigation was conducted and was also conducted with an experienced parachute rigger at his facility. No obvious defect could be ascertained as to why the main parachute lines were twisted and entangled.
Automatic activation device,privacy data omitted, s/n 43686 sent to manufacturer for analysis. This report will be amended if new pertinent information is received from any source.
On 7/13/2023, the automatic activation device was received from the manufacturer after analysis. The device was found to have functioned normally per manufacturer specifications in all modes. The analysis graph also showed a high vertical speed/decent under canopy until impact, which was due to the main parachute lines being twisted/entangled.
As the FAA filed it
THE PARACHUTE JUMP AIRCRAFT DEPARTED CROSS KEYS AIRPORT (17N) WILLIAMSTOWN, NJ WITH 15 JUMPERS ENROUTE TO A JUMP ALTITUDE OF 13,500 FEET. THE PARACHUTE JUMPER WHO SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES HAD OVER 740 JUMPS ON RECORD AND WAS JUMPING IN A WINGSUIT. VIDEO FROM THE FATALITY ALONG WITH WITNESS STATEMENTS GIVE THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE OF WHAT OCCURRED: THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY ISSUE WITH THE JUMPER OR HIS EQUIPMENT. EXIT FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WINGSUIT FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AT THE POINT OF DEPLOYING HIS MAIN PARACHUTE HE APPEARS TO BE LOW AND UNSTABLE. UPON RESERVE PARACHUTE DEPLOYMENT IT HAD TWISTED LINES AND ENTANGLEMENT. THE VICTIM APPEARS TO ATTEMPT TO TROUBLESHOOT THE MAIN BUT DOES NOT MAKE ANY ATTEMPT AT CUT AWAY/RELEASE THE MAIN PARACHUTE. THE RESERVE PARACHUTE AUTO DEPLOYS DUE TO LOW ALTITUDE BUT IMMEDIATELY BECOMES ENTANGLED IN THE MAIN PARACHUTE. FATAL IMPACT OCCURRED IN THE STREET IN FRONT OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
AN ONSITE INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED AND WAS ALSO CONDUCTED WITH AN EXPERIENCED PARACHUTE RIGGER AT HIS FACILITY. NO OBVIOUS DEFECT COULD BE ASCERTAINED AS TO WHY THE MAIN PARACHUTE LINES WERE TWISTED AND ENTANGLED.
AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, S/N 43686 SENT TO MANUFACTURER FOR ANALYSIS. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED IF NEW PERTINENT INFORMATION IS RECEIVED FROM ANY SOURCE.
ON 7/13/2023, THE AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE MANUFACTURER AFTER ANALYSIS. THE DEVICE WAS FOUND TO HAVE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY PER MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS IN ALL MODES. THE ANALYSIS GRAPH ALSO SHOWED A HIGH VERTICAL SPEED/DECENT UNDER CANOPY UNTIL IMPACT, WHICH WAS DUE TO THE MAIN PARACHUTE LINES BEING TWISTED/ENTANGLED.