1 Matches (out of a total of 833 incidents)
  1. Date Location Category Age # Jumps AAD?/RSL? Dropzone.com Report Dropzone.com Discussion
    04/05/1996 Woodland Airport, CA EXC,LOWT 49 720 Y/N    
    Description: Second jump of the day, a demo jump into a local airshow 5 Miles N of the DZ (Skydance) Airport. Wide open landing area with a full briefing and map given to the the jumpers. Skydive was from 13500 with breakoff at 4500 and all-open by 2500. Left hand pattern was flown by all, the deceased was about 8th to land. She was at 100ft when she initiated a 180 degree hook-turn from downwind to upwind. As she came out of the turn, she went into a right turn and hit the ground at a 25-30 degree bank angle. There were no obstacles or canopies in her path. Three doctors on site provided immeidate attention, but she failed to regain conciousness. After a helicopter flight to UC Davis Medical Center, she was pronounced dead of severe head trama. She was jumping a Stilleto 120 loaded at about 1.15 lb/ft^2. She was not a hook-turn type person. She had made about 100 jumps on this canopy in the last year an a half. Parachutist indictes the 2nd turn began at 100ft
    Lessons:If you land in a turn under a small canopy, you will very likely die. There is a certain probability here that she dropped the left toggle and thus turned instead of flared. If you drop a toggle after doing a low turn, all you can do is grab the rear risers, flare with them, and prepare to PLF. No information on if she was wearing a helmet.
    Name Gatya Reich