Skydiver Strikes Tail. Aircraft Destroyed!
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- A skydiver strikes the tail of a Cessna 206 jump plane forcing the pilot to bail out.
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I was thinking of going skydiving, but I’m going to just go to the coffee shop now.
Good luck! Because skydiving is safer than driving. Lol
Night time is best. Just the lack of stars overhead to show your chute is there.
and the gee, I must be near the gro...
@@robertsmith2956 I love night jumps.
It’s just down on the corner. My cat follows me on the walk, then waits for me out on the window ledge.
@@KerryDMcCauley california says coffee causes cancer.
As a retired skydiver and pilot from Canada about 25 years ago we had 2 parachutes over the tail damaging the elevator. Both times pilot was not a jumper and managed to control plane with great difficulty and landed safely.
Imagine landing with everyone else. "Hey where's your plane?' I dont know, lost it i guess"
Lol!
Fistbumps on the ground, "Hey wait a second, aren't you the PILOT?!"
@@ChrisEpler hahahahahahah
@@ChrisEpler “No, I thought…um…I thought he… Wait…was I the pilot? Oh yeah! I forgot. Damn! (looking up in the sky). Where did the plane go?”
…that would be why skydivers shouldn’t be jump pilots. 😂. Seriously, though, that wouldn’t happen.
Well I have a contract for 5 jumps, Get another one or I will sue you.
I have 3 front false teeth from a skydiving accident back in 1979 when
one of the cutaway metal capewells hit me in the mouth on deployment, nowdays they are still my best looking front teeth.
LOL! Capewells, back when cutaways were exciting!
1980 first jump on military surplus gear. Belly reserve and capwell cutaway. Fourth stacticline had to use them because T10 stayed in the sock causing high speed malfunction. Thanks John Cutts for excellent training RIP
I was a meat bomber in a C182 for a bit. It was the best stick and rudder flying I’ve ever done, but the worst thing was having jumpers lingering on the strut…
I never wore a parachute, thinking if the engine quits I’ll just glide down seeing as I’m over the field. I’d never considered a tail strike.
In the highly unlikely event that I go back to para dropping, I’ll wear one !
Guess things have moved on since 1991 when I did my one and only jump with a round canopy static line.
Safe skies.
Aberdeen, Scotland.
IMO you are crazy if you do not wear a chute as a Pilot, even in something like a twotter or C208. It gives you anothe chance in the unlikely event that the aircraft becomes uncontrollable!
Not wearing a parachute is stupid! I know personally too many jump plane accidents.
"Dropping meat bombs" 😂
We also called them *Lawn Darts.*
"Meat missile" is alliterative and conveys that they're (sort of) guided, too.
@@r0cketplumber meat guided bomb
Only these bombs don't explode upon impact with the ground if a chute fails to open. Instead, every bone in the body is shattered and you basically become like jello in a zip lock baggie.
I made my first jump from that plane in 1985. It was an awesome turbine conversion largely designed by the owner of this drop zone. I am so glad everyone got out safely. Interesting note : the owners Father was flying a Twin Otter that had its tail cut off by a trailing helicopter filming a movie. He landed safely with most f the vertical stabilizer missing.
You get the best stories in this business.
Yes, I met both of them when I arrived T California. It’s in -992. Van Pray Senior flew the Twin Otter while “Mini Van” did most of the maintenance.
Correcting spelling. Yes, I met both of them when I moved to California City in 1992. Van Pray Senior flew the Twin Otter while Van Pray Junior did most of the maintenance.
@@robertwarner5963 I love seeing these aviation families working together. My son Connor is a pilot and my chief instructor at my DZ.
It's amazing to see stuff like this. We never want anything to go wrong, but learning how one misstep can cause so much havoc is a real eye opener.
Gotta be careful when climbing on the outside of airplanes!
@@KerryDMcCauleyI know that most extreme activities (not necessarily for fun) are expensive for just the danger involved.
You lost a chute, or at least it’s usage.
I work in some pretty extreme stuff, and have for a long time.
Prices that are seemingly high are high for good reason: THE RISK.
Better to lose a piece of equipment than a life!!!
@@dangeary2134 That titanic sub lost both. I wouldn't get on it because the toilet is under the only window. That is a deal breaker on a 12 hours cruise for me.
My dad is a licensed skydiver and has experienced the same sort of accident. He was on the plane along with his buddies when one one of the skydivers that jumped off had his parachute deploy prematurely, get snagged on the elevator and ripped it clean off, rendering the plane uncontrollable. All rhe skydivers, including my father, bailed out. However, the pilot did not have a parachute, so he jumped out with another skydiver and held onto him.
Tragically, the pilot did not manage to keep a grip when the parachute deployed and fell.
As far as i know, no one, except for the pilot, was killed.
I've always wondered if I could hang onto another jumper like that. I didn't think much of my odds so I always/usually wear a rig.
@KerryDMcCauley yeah I would not rely on another skydiver to save yourself. Not only would it be hard to keep a grip, but their parachute is probably not rated for 2 people and you both can get seriously injured. Always good to carry your own parachute I guess
@@dob6074 he wasn't, though.
Need to have a latch to tie to. Then expect a very hard landing
This is why jump pilots wear chutes!
Flying jumpers is the only flying job in the world where you're flying the plane at the edges of its performance envelope all day long, something even combat pilots don't do. You climb out at max gross at VY, time your climb to altitude to end at the start of the jump run, slow down, get some flaps out, hand on the throttle to deal with all the CG shifts when the jumpers move around and exit, and then, when the last jumper leaves, dive STRAIGHT DOWN at the ground until approaching VNE, then trim to maintain that speed all the way down (if you're flying a turbine), and if you do everything just right you won't touch the throttle again until powering up for taxi with your next load. That's a skill set that may someday save not only your life but the lives of your passengers.
Every aspiring pilot should fly jumpers as part of their 'rite of passage'. And it's incredibly good fun!
You don’t climb at Vx.. you maintain VY (best rate)
Best stick and rudder training you can get!
@@thomasaltruda Correct.
@@thomasaltruda Yeah, that's right. It's been a while.
I never noticed our 130 and 17 pilots wearing chutes
" at that point he decided to leave" 😂
I always wore a chute when tossing people out of my plane. 😂😂
Safety first always.
yup, and watching enough clips of skydivers doing absolutely stupid stuff teh pilot has no control over.
Someone told me about the time he was flying jumpers in a fabric covered plane. One of the jumpers somehow tore the fuselage fabric and a section was long enough to wrap the empenage. He manged to get it under control and land safely. He was feeling like a hero. Then the owner chewed him out for not using his chute and letting plane go., as now the repair was going to cost him vs an insurance payout for the plane.
Typical aircraft owner.
@@KerryDMcCauley Once the wheels are off the ground, the plane belongs to the insurance company.
Sounds like my boss 😂 Mr. Reasonable and Understanding
Yeah……no.
Still think v-tails or t-tails are best for skydiving aircraft. The old Shorts Skyvans were also great, with their rear ramps.
No V-tails or T-tails used for skydiving except for the King Air 200. Skyvans are great but are getting timed out these days.
Oh my! Thank you for the video and explanation. I didn’t know jump pilots wore a parachute. I’m so glad no one got hurt.
The smart ones do. I always/mostly/sometimes wear one!
On my fist Jump I noticed the pilot wearing a chute. That made me question his confidence in the plane a little..........
My skydivers or tandem paxes opened my seat belt a few times during climbing out the plane. So now you sit on a open plane with no seat belt and have to close the door with a massive side slip. Not the smoothest situation... 😆
So I allways wear a chute!
Ever have any r-sole pull the mixture on their way out of a front door? One guy I flew with had the aircraft owner take the MAG key out with him when he jumped. Pretty easy FLWOP when you are over the DZ but a really bloody stupid thing to do.
A subtle point to is that most of the FAA Supplemental Type Certificatez - to install jump-doors on Cessnas - require the pilot to wear an emergency parachute.
I was the sole ground witness of George Marrar’s (sp) death many years ago at Yolo County Ca. I was working on the engine of my cropduster with my father in law when I heard the unmistakable sound of jumpers falling close by. I looked up to see two jumpers falling but one jumper had real problems. He appeared to be falling on his back with a mess of canopy fabric and lines trailing above him. I watched and yelled “cut away” but of course it ended badly. My father in law thought I’d suddenly gone crazy. I jumped into another aircraft and flew directly to where George impacted the sloping terrain of a neighboring ranch……What I recall is that his reserve pilot chute deployed while he was moving towards the open jump door. The pilot chute left the aircraft with George still well inside the door. Instead of following it out, he tried to remain in the Cassna. His reserve canopy ended up wrapped around the horizontal stabilizer and it was raising hell with aircraft control so he was pushed out of the door by the remaining jumpers. Prior to being pushed out the door a jumper pulled George’s main cutaway handle believing that it was his main that was on the stabilizer rather than his reserve. George of course attempted to deploy his main however, the risers were already detached from his harness. I hope I’ve recalled the events correctly. It’s been a very long time ago. It was just an accident without blame to anyone.
Tragic.
We were taught, if that snake reaches the door, get the h*ll out of the way, the person who owns it will be following it very fast. Don't worry, chute works, your good. If your hung, cut away and deploy, or they will foam the runway, and you can take the landing playing tail hook. Recommended the cut away as best of the two options.
Did have another plane with a jumper who landed on another's chute and didn't run off. Rode it down, and when the owner landed, he went into free fall and broke his back.
Yolo County sounds like an ironic name.. So, what you're saying is.. he snagged his reserve, so his friends cut his Main and pushed him out, and the last thing he heard was you yelling "use your reserve chute!" - I need some word cuz "Tragic" doesn't seem to be sufficient.
@@gabedude68 I can't imagine the guilt that guy must have felt.
I did my first few jumps in Yolo in July 83, before George went in. Your version is generally the story I've heard from LJ, his daughter, Dennis Murphy and others. The only difference is that George jumped, knowing he was most likely going to die but that if he didn't jump,everyone would die in the plane crash. He was not pushed. He did know that his cutaway cable has been pulled by another jumper who thought it was hisain wrapped on the tail. It was his reserve, and he knew the only chance to save the plane was to jump to his nearly certain death. I still have a newspaper clipping of this. I'm still friends with his daughter.
Interesting fact: George was so concerned about having a reserve open in the door (all us students jumped rounds and belly mount reserves) , he made a special visit to every first jump course to personally instruct students on the importance of following the pilot chute out the door. He did this in my first jump course. To say that his death was therefore ironic is an understatement.
I did my first eleven jumps before he died, then two more after he died and the DZ shut down.
Four years went by until another operator opened on Yolo County Airport. (Sky dance) in 1987. I started over with another first jump course doing AFF..
That was 87. Today I have over 16,000 jumps, mostly camera jumps. Also AFF-I, TI, and PRO. BASE 453.
I've worked full time in the sport ever since.
Reminds me of Saturday mornings, decades ago, just chillin' with my chums, chutes packed and playing hacky-sack on dew-covered municipal airstrips while waiting for pilots to start showing up, begging for lifts and stuffing too many jumpers into the empty fusilages of the willing. Tiny single-prop Pipers, Cessnas, Beachcrafts--barely enough room to breath. Tumbling out at altitude, giggling all the way... Thanks, Kerry!
The good old days!
True confessions, I was 18 and just acquired my commercial license and started flying skydivers. They didn’t show me anything so I climbed in the seat and started flying and it must have been the third or forth flight before someone told me to wear a chute. Then came lessons on holding the brakes so students don’t fall off the wheel and making 5 degree correction turns with rudder only as we would approach the jump zone. Then you discover. The pic is responsible for establishing s NOTAM about what reason you entered that you must open and close the NOTOM. Finally the pilot must make contact with FAA/act and request a quack code. Legal, questionable but great fun
Drinking from the fire hose. You learn so much flying jumpers.
I call BS. What DZ just put you in the plane to fly jumpers with no training as to exactly how to operate that plane for skydiving operations on that DZ. Name the DZ and DZO.
Truly, the most intelligent thing is get a different career- FAST!!!😮
@@leechjim8023 I've been jumping and flying jumpers for 38 years and couldn't imagine doing anything else!
@@KerryDMcCauley "Dropping Meat".. lol ;}
Happy the PIC made it. We just pick all those nickels in the grass and buy stuff to build another aircraft...
(Olde retired Boomer Crew Chief and A&P)
I cannot imagine the adrenaline bump you had seeing your cutaway, flyaway... Glad to hear *you* tell this story!
A couple of swear words as well!
"Dropping Meat Bombs" 🤣🤣🤣
Man, I really need to take my first dive.
You should! It's a BLAST!
No way I would I ever jump. 28,000 hours of staying IN the airplane🤪
I totally understand but after 9000 hours and 20,000 skydives I'd rather jump any day!
That great joke of Joe Walsh's: "Why jump outta a plane that's working?"
@@gottadomor7438 You might want to jump if I'm the pilot! Safer that way.
@@KerryDMcCauley Open cockpit would be the only one making it a hard choice.
2:33 "took all of his strength" in a full adrenaline dump is actually INSANE to think about; he had superhuman strength, thanks to adrenaline, and was barely able to open that door.
The roll up jump doors are actually difficult to open under normal conditions.
Dang! I've seen caravans on the motorways, but never airborne with meatballs jumping out!!!😂 Great work btw!!
i cant believe it i am seeing baldwin for the first time since 1984.i learned to jump there when there wwas just a shack and j.r. iverson owned it. in 1977. i made almost all of my 220 jumps there.i had six malfunctions, but the newly arrived squares. borrowed my me for a jump with different systems probably contributed to that. the best time of my life. the owner let me fly jumpers in a 182 straight tail. 5925 bravo. great bunch of guys and girls there . there was a lot of drinking after jumping. we used t10s in a direct bag system for training just like the airborne. worked there iand packed thousands of them. maybe my picture is still on the wall packing a t 10. my nickname was air to air after i collied with another jumper attempting my first hook up. my real name is russell. i cant recommend parachuting too highly. keep jumping guys.
I made my first jump in Baldwin in 1987, Osceola was my home DZ. Baldwin looks a LOT different now.
I have 2 comments. 1) when leaving an airplane it is always better to go in opposite direction of the spin, if possible. E.g. if aircraft is spinning right g forces are helping you to go left.
2) always guard your handles, even in the free fall.
I agree.
The location of the door may have a say in your exit direction.
Good stuff right there. I jumped for several years. Had some interesting occurrences, for sure! Learned out of a Cessna 206 and with the cargo door being behind the wing and near the horizontal stabilizer, I was concerned about hitting it on exit. My instructor brought a broom on a jump, gave it to me, and told me to try to hit the tail with it on exit. Wasn’t even close to hitting it. (Then I had to figure out what to do with the broom!!). Having a ‘chute open in the plane or while exiting was always a legitimate concern. Obviously. (Knock on wood…never happened.). Again, good stuff and thanks for posting.
My instructor told me the same thing, minus the broom.
@@KerryDMcCauley Ha!! Again, good post Kerry. With you a 100%.
By the way, falling with the broom I tried to do a little witch impression but it was impossible to remain stable for more than a couple of seconds. So I just let the broom go before opening. And then got really concerned where it was falling! All good; never saw it again. So it may still be stuck, bristles up, half-buried, in some remote field near Sylacauga, Alabama!
@@elmoreglidingclub3030 I laugh thinking about some farmer finding the stuff we lose in freefall. Helmets, alttiniters, cameras, brooms.
Had skydiving on my bucket list when I turned 50. Twenty five years later I still remember how scary and exciting it was especially on the way up to altitude knowing I was going to jump out of that airplane. It was the most fun Ive ever had with my pants on!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it! More people should give skydiving a try.
3:45 I know that plane. Good old 801 foxtrot lima. Fast climbing 13 seater with the plywood bulkhead. Made a lot a lot of memories in that sweet little old jumpship. What i liked best was that the camera step is perfect for tiny humans like me lol.
I think the two middle fingers about sums it up. 😂
Glad to see everything turned out okay.
I thought it was appropriate.
You've had 31 reserve rides? Yikes!
I've done almost 6000 jumps over 50 years with 4 cutaways. But then I'm a Style and Accuracy guy and never had to worry about my rig being grabbed by someone else in freefall.
Blue skies, Bud.
Toronto, Canada
( "Meat-bombs", never heard that one before, brilliant!)
About half we're tandems back years ago when they malfunctioned more.
Wow! Glad your training turned out well for you and the instructor candidates still are.
The candidates had a 75% pass rate in the course. We have high standards if the freefall instructor business and passing is not a given. Most candidates who fail will pass on their second attempt, but not all.
I’ve had people ask me if I ever thought about building flying time flying skydivers, nope. This cemented that lol
You have a much greater chance of dying driving to a DZ than flying the _nose candy_ crowd.
glad all got down safely. Many years ago, my ex wife's brother was hanging outside the airplane waiting for a girl to come out so they could jump together, but she deployed her chute. This caused the plane to pitch down abruptly his leg swung into the propellor and his foot was cutoff. They both landed ok and the pilot was ok
Ouch!
This would make for a fantastic interview
What was the aircraft, a Bongo? Can't think of anything else were a leg/foot would be able to get that close to the prop.
@@braveworld2707 I have heard of jumpers hitting the prop under certain circumstances but ai can't think of how it would normally be possible.
@@KerryDMcCauley As a highly experienced pilot and equally experience _lawn dart_ you would have a better idea than most everyone else how it might happen.
Did you guys every play _FRAPSLOTTO_ on your DZs? I was told there was a large "french" sounding DZ in the USA that did. Never experienced it myself but our DZs were small and quiet by comparison.
My mother did some sky diving in the 1970's, this was in the days of round cutes and student sky divers made their first jump solo.
Her instructor was later killed after a sky diver's parachute deployed prematurely and became entangled in the tail. The drag caused the plane to stall, but the instructor went back and managed to cut the parachute free but the plane pitched up violently. The instructor knew this was because his weight had shifted the plane's CG far to the aft so he jumped off, allowing the pilot to recover the plane.
The plane landed safely but though the instructor deployed his chute right away, it wasn't even close to deploying fully before the instructor hit the ground.
It is very likely the instructor knew they were way too low for his parachute to work. I think they were bellow 200 feet.
Sad.
Amazing!! I had a cut away on a halo jump in 94!! Watching my main tangle and non deployed makes you love your reserve!! Great channel!! New sub here!
That's always fun. Welcome!
Yup - my home town, thank God no one was seriously hurt or worse. Funny thing - the airport manager was mowing, and did not hear the impact (ear protection). His first clue was looking up and seeing a round chute! And the person (pilot) handled it beautifully and made a stand up landing!
The pilot/owner hummed it down to 1500 feet before pulling then stood up a round reserve. Badass!
I had heard about standups on rounds but never seen on. Club I flew for had square mains and reserves in the early 80s so only saw square landings. The only round was a front mount reserve that was used when the square reserve was being certified had the cable jam for some reason. I was till descending when _Too Fast_ landed and it was probably the last terminal front mount deployment in NZ in 1984 or 85. Will need to check my logbook for the exact date. Barry aka _Too Fast_ did a great job on that jump.
@@braveworld2707 I have 5 round landings, all reserve rides. And no, I didn't stand any of them up!
Great info Kerry! I love seeing skydiving planes especially the Cessna Caravan aircraft and the C206s but my favorite ones are DHC Twin Otter’s! What’s your favorite plane to fly for taking jumpers?
Great video Kerry love to know this! If it were my first jump ever out of a flat spin, I’d know I have one shot to not die as you have no reserve shoot if you wreck the first shoot you don’t even have time to say “Oh sh*t my shoot” 😮
It’s dangerous work for sure skydiving 🪂 isn’t to be taken lightly if you’re inexperienced and being stupid you’re screwed! 4:36 You’d better pray your spare parachute works! 😅
Cheers my friend! Hope I’ll see you at OSH 24
-Caleb
My favorite jump ship is the Twin Otter.
@@KerryDMcCauley Me too! I love me a Twin Otter I hope to see some cool ones at Oshkosh this year!
I always wore a rig aka _chute_ and as for being dangerous *HA!* I could get life insurance if I was a skydiver however they wouldn't give me insurance as a Jump Pilot. Go figure.
@@braveworld2707 Sounds like a good plan! 🤪
I had two instances, one on a tandem, when spuds were kind enough to simplify my opening sequence to the reserve only. I never allowed a family lurker on a tandem again. sigh... blue skies.
I've seen lots of chaos with people swooping tandems.
That was cool the way you zipped on by the story in the title and made it all about you.
I dont know much about parachute jumps so excuse this if its a silly question. I know this wont be easy in the small planes but in the larger ones couldn't they design a floor exit for the jumpers? Once everyone is ready and lined up to go a sliding cover on the floor is opened to reveal the exit. The jumper sits down and just falls out. No danger of striking airplane control surfaces.
That would be fun, but unworkable.
I'm a meat bomber pilot too (and also a skydiver) in a C182 and this one of my bigger concerns!
Kerry, am pleased to see you still at Baldwin. Been long since we flew together, about 25 years by my reckoning. Tried searching for N17393, "The Beav" but no luck. "39B"" is here in Colorado somewhere. Looking forward to following your posts. Stay safe!
Hey Kelly! Long time no see. The Beaver was bought by a corporation and had a turbine put on it.
Funny that this popped up, watching it thinking "where the heck do I know this guy from", was it Top Gun...something else?? Had to google his name, then I remember "Ferry pilot"!
Yep, hope you liked the book!
Scary Video Kerry, next time I jump I will now be very aware of my cut away handle. Thanks for the awareness
Anytime buddy!
I am kind of glad I am no longer flying the Twin Otter at the local jump zone. I used to look at those props, there is no way I could get out of that plane.
I have a lot of time flying jumpers in a Twin Otter and you'd jump out of the back if you needed to. pretty unlikely though because the tail is so high.
“Meat bombs”.
That one got me.
The paint scheme on the photo of N29173 reminds me of Pilgrim Airlines.
Grateful everyone involved made it out safe.
Van Pray Senior used to fly an ex-Pilgrim Airlines Twin Otter out of California City during the 1990s. Van Pray Junior repeated that Color scheme when he started doing turbine conversions of Cessna 206s.
Interesting, I figured there had to be a connection to Pilgrim.
That video is scary enough to never jump out of a plane.
I probably could have sold it better.
They didn't jump out of the plane. That is why they failed. They climbed out. Jumping out would have avoided this problem.
The similar incident involving the caravan that you were talking when you mentioned new Zealand sounds like the one that actually occurred in Australia, Victoria if my memory serves me correctly ,yes he was trying to get out of the aircraft after the tail strike when the door closed shut and when he finally got it open and was able to exit he was at around a thousand feet and his chute was fully deployed mere seconds before he landed. The pilot was 28 at the time , with a partner and 1 daughter I believe, I don't know if he ever returned to being a jump pilot or not
You are correct, it happened in Australia. A VERY close call!
As a jump pilot years ago I had one come close
I grew up close to a skydive airport, C172 dropping 4 chutes normally. One day a guy's main chute was partly deployed and flopping. He cut it away probably 1,000 to 2,000 feet up. His reserve did not open. I was 10. I told mom right away. She DIALED the rotary phone to police/ambulance dispatch. This was late 1970s with ONE rotary phone in the house and "911" wasn't a thing, yet. Skydiver did not survive. At least he hit the ground at the end or a row of grapes instead of a post or wires.
It's very possible I'll be a skydive pilot in a couple months. I think it's a great sport, but jumpers need strict, practiced habits to survive malfunctions. Pilots need good habits, too.
I watched the golden knights do that in the early 70's. trick chute failed, then real chute failed, then reserve chute snaked up as he "landed". He was to low for it to deploy fully. It looked like the cigarette roll failure hanging there. Didn't know about that one for another decade.
Ambulance was heading out on the main fail.
Never deterred me from wanting to jump. Might be why I want to do a HALO jump though....
Only practice simulator I know of for parachutes is "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe" You could strafe the jumpers when you shot their plane down, and rip their chutes open.
They did have an RC parachute jumper in the mid 70's. But no reserve at all to practice with.
It's great fun but *always* wear a rig. No idea what is used now days but a flat pack rig was what we had 40 odd years ago. Also when the reserve times out and has to be repacked, you put it on and pull the handle so you know what it feels like. Think about how you will get out of a stricken machine on the ground and rehearse it just like emergency drills. Know what to do before you may have to do it. Eg, do you go out with your headset on and risk the extra second required to pull the leads. Will the leads or headset cause an issue when you pull the handle, what's the best way out and things like that.
Ask other pilots on the DZ for advise or tips and don't forget to enjoy it. It's bloody great fun. 👍
I'd bring my Bose A-20 headset with me if I could. Damn thing is expensive!
@@KerryDMcCauley I had a Telex D950 that cost me about 4 weeks pay at the time and were *much* cheaper than the highly desirable Dave Clarks. I was going to wear mine out and hope I didn't get a 5.5mm plug in the eye on exit and opening.
The rig had a 20' round and I was told I would likely break at least one leg with something that small. No idea if it was the usual windup of a jump pilot or not but those basturds had told a pilot before my time on the scene that the "backpack" was filled with newspapers and he ending up riding an aircraft down that he should have jumped out of. Aircraft was written off but a stupid "joke" had come very close to killing the pilot.
@@braveworld2707 wow, things could have gone very badly there.
I’m a pro rated jumper/tandem static line instructor. Also a jump pilot and base jumper. Jumping out with only one shot doesn’t bother me. It would be the plane spinning out of control coming towards me in free fall and or debris colliding into me and the G force like you said. It also amazes me how some pilots don’t wear pilot rigs in bulk head aircraft like the king air or twin otter. I would still wear one. That’s for sure 🤣 especially knowing how jumpers are about not paying attention at times.
Not wearing one in a low tail plane like a King Air is crazy! I don't wear one in a Twin Otter.
Have seen similar once in person in a C185. I was third out the door, first out snagged their pullout and dropped the main bag in the door way as they climbed the strut, as the lines started to feed out 2nd to exit fully crash tackled the strut guy off the plane. As they left the bag went under the tail and the pilot chute went over, they got line stretch just in time to pull it clear. No damage that day, just some elevated pulse rates, definitely watch the edges of those doors folks.
I've seen that happen first hand. Don't ask me how!
I only have 64 jumps and 25 hours in small fixed wing and 150 hours in light rotorcraft, but the scariest scenario for me was material out of the bag during jump operations. I never saw it, but I was always scared of it.
I've seen it firsthand and you're right to be scared.
This is why I don’t go on ,or would ever jump out of one, nope , not me , thanks BigAl California.
Think they still have a "free fall" in TN. Vegas had one for a short time. Propeller kept you falling at ground level. LOL Would be interesting what would happen with no roof, and you deployed a chute.
Why, in type aircraft where it could be done, is a "anti-foul" rod run from the fuselage at an angle to the forward/outboard leading edge corner of the horizontal stab that would cause anything that would otherwise impact the leading edge of the stab to be deflected outboard. (Similar to but in reverse operation of wire strike protection for rotary wing aircraft)
So, if a jumper's chute or lines were to be deployed, they would "slip" back and outward and then "away" from the stab. Both the aircraft and the jumper's chute likely would not be compromised.
my guess is that this has to do something with certification of the aircraft, maybe regulatory restraints and/or costs are preventing this? but it's a good idea.
also there's not much room between the door and the horizontal-stab to begin with - if you would mount some contraption (maybe a rope would be "enough" to deflect?) there would be an added risk of people hitting that or just hitting their head on exit?
if you look at photos of the accident-aircraft there really is a "catch" on the leading edge corner that looks reaaaally grabby to canopy-lines and may just as well have contributed to getting the horizontal-stab damaged..
@@jodelboy Yes. Amended type certificate can be done, and addresses this very type of situation. It will encompass the methods, procedures and requirements to make a certificating as required for each type aircraft affected and how the "modifications" affect the original design.
In other words, there is a procedure, it simply takes people in the position to bring about a solution to engage in its effort.
(I am not in a position to "make it happen", but will engage with anyone who wants to "brainstorm" the concept.)
Remember, people can reproduce, planes cannot. 😂
Inverted stall is one thing, but an inverted stall missing part of the tail puts a lot more skin in the game. I always thought they should put a hole in the floor to drop out of.
Now that would be fun!
I enjoy watching skydiving from the ground.
Premature deployment! I hate it when that happens as ruins the moment 😂😂😂
Hard to dock on the base with your canopy out.
Simple solution: Convert the tail into a 'T-tail', so that there is no chance of any parachutists hitting the horizontal tail surfaces.
Good thinking, except that converting an airplane to a T tail is virtually impossible. That's why the Twin Otter with its high tail is such a good jump ship.
Mmmmm, don't think a PA-38 would really be a suitable jump ship. 😂
Unless it was a dire emergency, I would never jump out of a perfectly good plane, and I would think twice about it in the emergency!
No you wouldn't because there is no time for it. You make the decision on the ground based on conditions you have already considered. A *one second* delay can be the difference between living and dying in the wreck and I am *not* kidding. A pilot at a DZ I flew at has a *FOUR SECOND* canopy ride. The ASI was at 220kts when it was recovered from the wreck. You can do the maths and figured how far it descended in one second and if it gave the guy time to get his first jump certificate. He was also grounded for opening too low. That happened but it was a joke though, the opening too low bit.
You're correct. The pilot was a skydiver, and he didn't hesitate once the jumpers were gone. He also hummed it down to 1500 feet because why not?
How adding a sloping angle from the door to the stabiliser in jump planes to stop chutes getting tangled.
Sounds like a good idea from an internet "expert". What could go wrong?
Probably would increase drag and make the plane uncontrollable but no more tangled chutes
Good idea in theory, but probably unworkable. Probably better to put a sharp edge on the horizontal stabilizer to cut the lines.
I remember vividly my fifth jump at Ft Benning. Due to weather we jumped Hollywood that day. I get JMPI’ed. Make a wonderful jump. Get back to the chute shed. Go to turn in my equipment. Jump master asks a few questions. Normally when asked to check the color of the tape on our handles it’s a moot point. Today however I notice at this moment that my tape colors don’t match what’s being noted as normal. I raise my hand. This elicits many looks my direction with awkward faces on each. See I should have had Blue on one handle Yellow on the other. I had Blue and White. It wasn’t till a CW5 (this is the first I’ve ever seen one in person) comes out of a back room and explains the situation… See what I just jumped with was a static display (demo) reserve. It wasn’t meant to be along with the jumpable ones… but it somehow managed to make its way. I was so excited to not have found out prior to when I did. How horrible it would have been to count to four, check main, need to deploy reserve only to find out there is no spring in the pack tray to push it out… Tera FIRMA wouldn’t have cared one bit.
Close one!
Once again proving it is safer to jump out of a plane than land in it.
I fly and jump almost every day and I completely agree with you!
Depends on the plane and the pilot. Jumping is filled with failure modes as well. Safest way is to not get in the plane in the first place. :)
@@WJV9 You have to work really hard to crash a parachute. Planes are deigned to be easy to crash.
@@WJV9 When a pilot asks me why would you jump from a perfectly good airplane I ask them why they leave the perfectly safe ground in the first place.
I’m glad everyone was ok. That’s the most important thing. 👍
Very lucky
Something happened at Roy E. Ray Airport in Mobile County Al. In the 80's. with Cessena 182. Pilot was the first one out. His first jump. No injuries.
First one out? "Wait here, I'll go get help!"
The impact site was a round hole about six feet across, nice and neat, just a hunk of metal. No wings or fire. Unless someone told you what it was, you wouldn't know it was a plane. The pilots father, also the DZ owner walked up looking at hole not knowing if his son was in the wreckage. Then is son walked up behind him holding the emergency chute. He turned and embraced his son. The jumper had a belly reserve and was sitting with his back to the instrument panel and there was no door on the plane when the pilot chute prematurely deployed. Pilot was first one out.
in the pre-jump briefing... was there any dialogue about being careful/mindful of handles?
When experienced jumpers go up they usually only talk about what they are going to do on the jump. Safety is never mentioned. Everyone goes over emergency procedures once a year.
Newbie question: At 4:39 it looks like you're "flipping the bird" with both hands... is that the agreed-upon signal for "stop trying to kill me" or "get the heck away" or something else?
No, waving off with both arms means, "knock it off". Flipping the bird means "you're a dick!"
My plane, I built it, I was flying it, 8000 jumps, I took it down to 1500ft , ground rush, My reserve pack job, Stood up the Pioneer 28 vented in the parachute landing area. The only time I was scared is when I didnt have control of the plane until I hit the clean air outside the door.
Van first I am glad you made it out !! Along with every one else’s !! Super sad that you lost such an amazing plane as a low time pilot I would love to hear more of the story when the time is appropriate
Blue skys
Holy cow! That was you? Good job getting out safely! Was it hard getting out? I'm kicking myself for pulling so high on my reserve ride on Saturday. I should have taken it down to 1500 as well. Remember, altitude below an open reserve is just wasted! I would love to talk to you about the incident and about the 206. I'm considering converting mine.
Hi Van, glad you are ok and made it out. Could have been a a really bad day. You’re the hero for bringing plane down in a safe area. Is this the same plane you brought over to KGLY Glidersports in Clinton Missouri back in 2021? That was the last few jumps I made before retiring from the sport and loved your plane
@@KerryDMcCauley Hi Kerry and People there. Glad you all are OK. I'm sorry to take your atention at this moment but I cannot help but share/add an experience we had here long time ago (+20 years) with a C 180 which was used a a Jump Plane back in the day. I had the fortune to enjoy this incredible and very rewarding activity (Thrills, Friends, Funny Anecdotes, etc.) and did so in an environment (Club) where safety was No1 purpose, so, to make it short, one day we purchased from the States the very first edition of "Basic Body Flight" from Skydive University, in DeLand- Florida , by Rob Laidlaw and Tom Piras, (VHS Tape included) which included safety advice on Plane Exits, and specially those "Dive out form the V" exits and Tom would show on that tape the safest way to place yourself on the wing strut, facing backwards for a 4 formation exit (2,3 or 4). The key was to turn around on an anticlockwise motion, if seen from above, in order to not rub your container against the door's frame. We took advice. But guess what? Some time after that news came from an accident with that C180. Jumpers from other part of the country were enjoying it one Sunday, until they tried a 4-Way exit and the first Jumper went to sit on the Wing Strut when his Reserve Bag fell over the strut and was obviously blown backwards. Result: Broken Strut, Wing, etc. All jumpers managed to exit but the Pilot could not, ( he was wearing a Chute). Very sad day for me as you can imagine even if I didn't knew him personally. Now I know You, so take extra care out there ! Cheers from Uruguay-South America.
Van, very glad you and all the jumpers onboard made it out okay. Sorry about the loss of 173. Lots of good memories riding and jumping from that airplane at Cal City "back in the day" before you bolted a PT-6 to the nose.
Jumping out of a perfectly airworthy Airplane...Nope, not me sir....🤔😳🙄🇬🇧
It's not for everybody.
Hey Kerry, Ive read your books, and loved them. Im a pilot and interested in sky diving one day. Question: have you ever base jumped? is it a common temptation or are many people happy with just jumping out of planes?
I haven't yet but a lot of my friends do and I'm planning on it soon!
Paragliding off a 4300 ft mountain at Jackson Hole was great. 👍👍😎
That would be!
Did you dump your main before going to reserve?
Happened in the early 80’ies in Rinkaby Sweden, with a static line jump from Cessna 206. Airspeed at exit was way too high, and apex of the (round) parachute rippet most of the empannage of the Cessna, killing 3 or 4.
Tragic.
Interesting video that illustrates two examples of the numerous failure conditions that can, and do arise.
Q. Is there a skydiving accident/incident report generated when such events occur similar to whats required by the FAA in an aircraft accident/incident?
Yes, the United States Parachute Association collects accident reports.
Oh, the plane had been in the pilots family since new in 1964. It had been upgraded to a PT6 turboprop, some time ago - perfect for a small operation getting started up again.
Shame, those upgraded 206s are amazing!
What's the ROC and ROD do you get out of it? Any real performance difference compared to a 208? Asking for a......🤔 friend, yes a friend. 😁
I lost a good skydiving friend as he hit the tailplane on exit. He was knocked out and failed to activate his chute. Fortunately, the damage to the plane was not critical to the plane itself, so the rest of us could exit and the pilot could land.
The cause of this accident was, that my friend did not give the pilot the usual 'throttle back' and exited in a 'surf' position, gaining lift and hitting the tail with his head. Why he did not adhere to the usual run-in procedure is a mystery, he had a lot of experience.
Don't jump rigs have barometric devices to release the chute automatically at a set altitude in just that kind of situation? When I first jumped back in the day it had one.
@@canlibYes now they do. It was in 1985, we did not have that technology then.
Well, all's well that ends well.
Stay safe guys. Have fun. 😮😅
40 years ago, we were jumping out of a 185 a lot. The pilot and jumpmaster both dared us to try and touch the tail when we exited. Couldn't do it to save me.
My instructors said the same thing.
Bill says "Good Video!"
So glad you liked it!
04:15 ..... What the hell !! ....That little body to body brushing hit Totally Disables your Main parachute ?? .... Didn't know the "Rip Cord" was that fragile Weakly attached !! ....Just seems ridiculously unacceptable Badly designed/Configured for a Main parachute deployment Handle to come off like That.....Gotta be a better Safer way to attach a "Rip Cord" than that !!
it doesn't disable it, it cuts it away.
it is DESIGNED to do this.
search youtube for "skydiving rig explained", lots of really good videos for newbies - because apparently you have absolutely no clue how it works ;)
The design is WAY better than it was back just 30 years ago. It's has to be easy to pull or you'd never get it out in the event of a spinning malfunction.
@tomstrum6259 I suggest you search youtube for "skydiving rig how it works". there are really good videos where people explain how the cutaway-system works and why it is designed the way it is.
He did not snag his reserve rip cord. I say this because his reserve rip cord was at the time of being pulled off the strut is still secured in the pocket on the left side of the main lift web of his harness. What most likely happened was the jumper bumped into the underside of the wing and when he did that the reserve rip cord pin was then pushed out of the reserve closing loop
I think I was referring to the jumper who ripped off the tail of the 206. I don't have video of that. You are correct in regards to the video of the jumper being pulled off the 182.
Pin checks are most important in those small Cessnas. Did you find your free bag, or did you have to replace it along with your cutaway handle?
Got the free bag, borrowed my son's VK 67 until mine was repacked later that day.
@@KerryDMcCauley later that day? Where did you get another cutaway handle?
@@Cameraflyer- My rigger had one. But the damn thing is bright green. Ugly. I've got a new one on the way. I was super happy that he was able to get it back online so quickly though.
@@KerryDMcCauley It's always a good idea to have an extra free bag and handles just in case. Especially if you make money skydiving. It is a little bit of an investment. My free bag has Skyhook so it's even more expensive. I had a cutaway last week and the free bag fell in a muddy field that was really difficult to get to. We had to use a drone to find it. I'm glad you found yours.
@@Cameraflyer- The drone I got last year has saved my countless hours in the corn. Love that thing!
I was just out there 3 or so weeks ago. Gear goddamn checks, people. That actually was a perfectly good airplane.
Probably wasn't something a gear check would solve. I hear he snagged it climbing out.
The Cessna 206 comes in two variants. The C206 and U206. The C206 has its starboard side door at the strut. The U206, U for "utility", has the door aft, closer to the tail. The drop zone I first started jumping at had a C206. Have also jumped out of the U206. The U has a nice large door in comparison to the C. But it is also closer to the tail.
I would need to check my log book, but I might have jumped out of that plane prior to it getting the turbine conversion.
My second jump was out of a 206 like that.
How did the shoot damage the tail.? In the video it looks like it just slides across it.
I really glad the pilot was able to parachute out and everyone was okay.
Thar was a video from another incident.
I've had a static line chute deploy prior to separating from the aircraft, as I turned loose from the from the wing, the main opened. Instead of a gradual opening, I'd say it was like opening a sub terminal packed chute at terminal velocity. It hurt, left bruises and cuts/burns from the rig. Safe landing, though it was a long walk back to the drop zone. That was my second jump, I jumped one more time that day... I froze the second jump, but finally let go...
That's why I stopped doing static line training. Too much chaos!
I don't mind an adrenaline rush, but I don't think this is the way I want one.
That is an expensive way to get a rush!
@@KerryDMcCauley Cheaper than getting the rush inside the plane.
It's fun... but jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft is never smart.
Former Coast Guard Rescue swimmer....
We never use parachutes!!😂
Smart? No. Safe? Kind of. Fun? Absolutely!
That is just not something I ever wanted to do. Absolutely no desire to jump out of a plane.
Definitely not for everyone.
The clip of the skydiver leaving the strut after his reserve chute opens prematurely appeared to completely clear the horizontal stabilizer and elevator, however.
It did and i know a few that cleared and a few that hit the tail. Just luck of the draw I guess.
Apparently there might be upcoming video on the actual incident. Stay tuned
I have zero skydiving experience and I intend to keep it that way. But from the edge of my bed I feel like somebody should make airplanes for skydiving with better exits. Like a ramp out the back underneath, with a tail design that is out of the way. This seems simple, a bus with wings and a back door, and a high tail. But I'm not an aircraft engineer either..
There are 2 kinds of aircraft like that used for skydiving. The Skyvan and the Casa. They are fantastic for jumping by expensive and only used in big operations.
1:00 1st - that is not the 'tail" of the plane. 2nd - How did the chute wing lines render the aircraft unflyable ?
3rd- Explain ?
Good report out, Kerry. Happy endings thankfully.
the jump master is suppose to be checking everyone as they get in the plane and watch to make sure everything is where it is suppose to be. as for as main and reserve parachutes, my jump master told me the first one is for fun and the second one is for real.
Skydivers don't have jumpmasters onboard unless there are students. We self police, sometimes inadequately.
" Blood upon the Risers" comes to mind...
Baldwin Wisconsin? I have skydived there probably jumped from the same plane.
The 206 crash was at Skydive Kansas city. I'm the DZO at Skydive Twin Cities in Baldwin WI.
I have flown jumpers over forty years. The pilot should always input a good amount of rudder to the exit side of the aircraft while the jumpers exit! This allows any premature deployment to clear the tail surfaces. SLIP THE TAIL OUT OF THE RELATIVE WIND. I have personally seen two old straight tailed C182 loose half of there horizontal stabilizers due to canopies striking them. Both static line jumpers. Both aircraft landed safely!
I'm not sure if the amount of slip you could comfortably put in on a normal jump run would totally eliminate the danger but it couldn't hurt. Of course if you see a premature deployment on the step you should put in FULL right rudder and nose down to get the tail out of the way but you can't so that on every exit. 40 years? That's a good run! Compared to you I'm just a rookie. I've only been flying jumpers for 32 years.
It was nice that the falling plane didnt kill anyone on the ground.
Very true!