2 skydivers (tandem) killed when their chute fails to open

I hear Skydiving is actually statistically very safe now a days, but idk
 
CC268 said:
I hear Skydiving is actually statistically very safe now a days, but idk
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From what I understand, it is. It has to be very rare when both the main or reserve fail to open. I can't imagine, has to be one of the worst ways to go. RIP :(
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Whywhywhy does Yahoo have a photo of a wrecked airplane atop the story about a parachute that did not open! Where is that California reporter wanting to talk about the 310 crash, I have something I want to show him!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/1-2-skydivers-killed-california-first-time-jumper-183510121.html?nhp=1
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It's a picture of the jump operation's plane that crashed in May. I guess the reporter didn't have pictures of the two dead skydivers and he really needed a sensational picture of some sort. It's just part of their job. :mad:
 
N747JB said:
The owner of the skydiving operation said this, "I am always liable but I am not concerned. We didn't do anything wrong," Dause told the affiliate. "It's a love of the sport. You keep going." I am pretty sure his attorney would prefer he not make that statement! :eek: Very sad situation.
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You'd have to meet the guy, he's been around for quite some time, been everywhere, done everything, Bill will be around long after the roaches die off.

I've jumped there, it's a great DZ, not USPA, and not going to try to coddle you if you're doing dumb crap, very much a DZ,very much not a adult day care, good place, very inexpensive for fun jumpers, but you got to have your head on a swivel.
 
Aaannnd that's why I've only dumped them out. I'm not joining them.

I know it's safe. I see it every weekend. I'm just going to get my one jump in and call it a day.
 
Back when I jumped, the stats were one fatal per 70,000-100,000 jumps. Has it improved?
 
A lot. 0.0075 per thousand last year
 
To what do we attribute the increased safety? Are AADs mandatory now?

They were just a "good idea" 20 years ago.
 
dans2992 said:
To what do we attribute the increased safety? Are AADs mandatory now?

They were just a "good idea" 20 years ago.
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Depends on the DZ.

On tandems, I've never seen one without one.

For sport rigs, depends on the DZ and the relationship with the DZO/your experience. I don't have one in my rig.

Lodi doesn't require one. I'd say maybe 25% don't require one.
 
AADs are not mandatory, but common these days. They help. More people are wearing helmets, training is better, a lot of small incremental changes mostly.
 
CC268 said:
I hear Skydiving is actually statistically very safe now a days, but idk
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I actually read an article the other day talking about how skydiving is no longer an "extreme" sport. The guys at my DZ had a different opinion, lol. I do enjoy being a diver driver/jumper dumper though. It's allowed me to get hours on several interesting (to me) aircraft.
 
BGF_Yankee said:
I actually read an article the other day talking about how skydiving is no longer an "extreme" sport. The guys at my DZ had a different opinion, lol. I do enjoy being a diver driver/jumper dumper though. It's allowed me to get hours on several interesting (to me) aircraft.
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Guess that depends on how you jump, downsizing, swooping, etc.
 
I've done one tandem jump. You're darn tooting it had an AAD. The "passenger" doesn't have easy access to the various things (rip cord, reserve, drogue release) even if knew what to do with them. It would be foolhardy to not have it.

They made me watch a video from the manufacturer pretty much saying "You can expect expect to die if you jump on our rig" before jumping.

A followup article says that skydiving was on the passenger's bucket list. I guess he got that done just in time.
 
Sounds like the bill booth video

 
Someone said over on the Red board that the primary chute fouled and the guy deployed the reserve before cutting loose (or whatever you do to get rid of) the main, fouling both.
 
"Safer than peanuts" is what I keep hearing. Lodi has a tough reputation with some, great reputation with others. Two guys were at our DZ today who love Lodi. You aren't likely to catch me hanging out there though.

People die doing every sport. Tandem jumps are not statistically dangerous. Wing suits and BASE, however, tend to be kind of deadly.
 
Wingsuits doing proxy flying yeah.

I've jumped Lodi, actually did a dual XC with a student who was a TI, jumped as a solo student jumper as he then went on to his solo XC out of Lodi. Great memories, but yeah, it's a place you need to be an adult at and watch out for yourself, but cheap lift tickets.

Nothing but good things to say about it from me
 
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I love Lodi. Cheap, no frills, fast airplanes with big doors, and good people.

FWIW, Bill Dause, the owner, has more skydives than anyone ever, but you won't confuse him with your parents. It's kind of a libertarian place. Don't scare anyone else and you can do pretty much what you want. As it should be.
 
Their pilots are aholes. Like nose-on-the-threshold while you're on final aholes.

Like take off from intersecting runways into downwind without using radios aholes.

Like not giving a shiat about the rest of the aviation population aholes.



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Tampico Trauma said:
Their pilots are aholes. Like nose-on-the-threshold while you're on final aholes.

Like take off from intersecting runways into downwind without using radios aholes.

Like not giving a shiat about the rest of the aviation population aholes.



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It's a working DZ.

Ever sit in a plane for over 8hrs straight, hot fueling and turning loads?
 
It doesn't excuse basic airmanship. Especially with students based at 1O3, let alone the transient traffic. They scared the shiat out of my best friend who was on short final to 26 there on his solo XC when they taxied onto the active.


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Tampico Trauma said:
It doesn't excuse basic airmanship. Especially with students based at 1O3, let alone the transient traffic. They scared the shiat out of my best friend who was on short final to 26 there on his solo XC when they taxied onto the active.


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What FAR did they break?

Also don't mention airmanship if you've never used your cert to provide for your home.
 
James331 said:
What FAR did they break?

Also don't mention airmanship if you've never used your cert to provide for your home.
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So a CPL is a good excuse to taxi onto an active runway while someone is on short final, using the CTAF?

I hate to pick this battle, because I'm only a 220hr PPL who uses his plane to commute to work.


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I moved my northern base to O20 because of this operation.


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James331 said:
Sounds like the bill booth video

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So, does this video and document provide any advantage for them _when_ they get sued? My understanding was that stuff like this does not effectively stand in the way of lawsuits (unfortunately).

BTW, I like how the name of his company starts with "Uninsured...." Decreasing his attractiveness to lawyers. I can only assume that was a strategic decision.
 
James331 said:
Also don't mention airmanship if you've never used your cert to provide for your home.
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What a seriously dumb thing to say. Just because you're "on the clock" doesn't mean you own the place. Screw that that crap. If that were true, every trucker on the highway could tell everyone else on the highway to go to hell and blockade for days at 60 mph. Screw you in your Beemer with the flashing high beams.

We all have to play together.
 
James331 said:
What FAR did they break?

Also don't mention airmanship if you've never used your cert to provide for your home.
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Yeah this really is a dumb, elitist thing to say. I fly for a living and I sure don't think I have any more right to the airports or airspace as a private pilot. If you are a commercial pilot I think you should be a professional and act accordingly.
 
Direct C51 said:
Yeah this really is a dumb, elitist thing to say. I fly for a living and I sure don't think I have any more right to the airports or airspace as a private pilot. If you are a commercial pilot I think you should be a professional and act accordingly.
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Clearly DZ ops are exempt from this though. This is the attitude at 1O3 and many other DZ airports.


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James331 said:
Also don't mention airmanship if you've never used your cert to provide for your home.
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Dav8or said:
What a seriously dumb thing to say. Just because you're "on the clock" doesn't mean you own the place. Screw that that crap. If that were true, every trucker on the highway could tell everyone else on the highway to go to hell and blockade for days at 60 mph. Screw you in your Beemer with the flashing high beams.

We all have to play together.
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Yeah going to go ahead and say that's a pretty dumb thing to say too...
 
I might skydive only ONCE and thats it. Same goes for Hotair Balloons.
I love hights but ONLY when I'm in a controlled aircraft. If im not in a plane and I'm very high up, then I would start getting nervous.
I feel safer in a Cessna 172 that suffered and engine failure than I do sky diving or in a Hotair balloon!:blueplane:
 
James331 said:
Sounds like the bill booth video

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It is interesting that the tandem industry has so far managed not to get sued out of existence. Pretty sure that despite the waiver, many suits have been filed along the way, it must have held up in court more often than not.
 
dans2992 said:
BTW, I like how the name of his company starts with "Uninsured...." Decreasing his attractiveness to lawyers. I can only assume that was a strategic decision.
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Another manufacturer of skydiving equipment is called 'The uninsured relative workshop'. Most companies in the skydiving business are very careful not to hold any assets. Everything from the aircraft to the sewing machine is leased, material is bought on terms with the suppliers etc. The other aspect is this kind of very blunt disclosure of the risks. The last panel on the canopy that you are looking at before you fold it into the deployment bag carries a big warning label 'use of this equipment will result in permanent injury or death'.
 
Tampico Trauma said:
Clearly DZ ops are exempt from this though. This is the attitude at 1O3 and many other DZ airports.
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As a part-time diver driver, I'm offended by that. I've always considered myself professional, talking to all other pilots I can over the radio that are in the area. I always announce my intentions and am aware of my surroundings. That being said, in technical aspects, if you're on "short final" in a C152, I can just about be through 2,500 feet AGL in my Twin Otter before you're even touching your wheels down. Not saying that's how I fly, just what I know the aircraft will do. It's all about being able to play together in this big sand box we have. As the old saying goes, if you've seen one DZ, you've seen one DZ. Each one is different, from the culture to the management structure. I'd thank you for not carpet bombing us all...
 
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