May 17, 2008, 6:33 PM
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3 Way Wrap.IN CO.1983
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I'am not sure but this occured around Denver. I think Arvada.They where doing a demo into a shopping center or mall.2 guys under a 7 cell 1 guy under 5 cell Swift main.And around 500 feet they wrapped.All three died in front of the spectators..I remember a news bulletin over the Tv at the time.And the Incident report in Parachutist. I ran in to a friend 5 years later.Who had Wittensed it.He was a non jumper.He said it was so traumatic that they set up phyciatric tents for any one that had wittnesed it..I Thought wow!.He would not B.S about something like that.The Early days of crew Mistakes where brutal.
(This post was edited by cosmo22 on May 17, 2008, 7:00 PM)
I know it happened,Im just saying.It was Traumatizing.And i would not want to see the video.. I saw the girl go in at the end of the runway at the 1985 fb convention.And that was stomach churning. But inever got any Phyciatric help.
Triple fatality in Ontario in 1992/3?? Steve West, Kelvin Brundrett and a tandem passenger. Kelvin went in trying to save the tandem pair and was awarded the Carnegie Medal for bravery.
Was there three that went in in Antarctica or just two?
I also remember hearing about a 3 way that went in in S. Africa way back when as I heard it when I started jumping..1980. That one I don't know about.
My Aunt and Uncle were at that street fair when the 3 crw guys went in. As my Aunt told me they were in a line to buy fresh kettle popcorn when someone screamed and pointed. She said she watched until they went out of sight behind the buildings and tents. As I recall she and my Uncle didnt require counseling either.
I also remember hearing about a 3 way that went in in S. Africa way back when as I heard it when I started jumping..1980. That one I don't know about.
Murray
They were South Africans but it happened at a meet or boogie in Windhoek, Namibia, on a night jump. Story I heard was that the field elevation of their home DZ in SA was a few thousand feet higher and they failed to reset their altimeters before boarding the aircraft. Details are a little hazy after almost 30 years, but I recall being told that they impacted within 50 feet of each other, one having just pulled. There must be some South African jumpers here who can add to what happened. Hoop
May 19, 2008, 3:07 PM
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Re: [Jim_Hooper] 3 Way Wrap.IN CO.1983
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A friend of mine from Rhodesia told me of watching a 3 way go in, but not sure where. He said that he was watching through binoculars when they went behind a hangar. Like Hoop it has been a long time ago. But watching through binos would indicate daytime and I thought that it was a meet of some kind. I heard the story in 82 or 83 when I was working in SA so it was sometime before that. Sandy Reid might have a clue on this one if he monitors this site.
There was a story going around early 80s of a group going in in Aussie doing a night dive after getting on the turps. May have been a DC3 involved but it was a long time ago and could well be bullshit.......
I think your refering to a two way that was part of a team called the Fat cats. Postumusly dubbed the frap cats. The story as I heard it was they were at a meet, may have been nationals, and went in linked. The "legend" continues that someone passing their home town after words crossed off the population on the towns sign and reduced it by two. I can't vouch for the truth of this, but it's a story that has done the rounds in Aussie for decades.
It occured, unfortunately; the 3 jumpers killed in the CRW wrap at Wheatland Colorado years ago were Elmer Miller, Les Smith and Bob Vance. All 3 were good friends and very accomplished skydivers.
The 5 cell referenced was not a Swift main canopy. Elmer jumped a Swift reserve set up as his main canopy (not real unusual back then because the Swift reserve packed smaller and landed at least as good as the Swift main...).
(This post was edited by pms07 on May 20, 2008, 12:52 AM)
Bob Vance was my first jump instructor in the spring of 1981 just two years before the incident. I remember watching the wrap on the evening news at the DZ. They were landing a 3 stack at a demo.
As I remember they were overshooting the intended landing area so they started riding brakes to slow the stack down. The 5 cell was on top and it stalled. It turned into an ugly spinning mess real fast. I think two of them cutaway and the third rode the wrap in. They were very low, 300 feet maybe?
Well i remember this incident.I lived out there before it happened.Jumped in Sterling.My Rigger was Scott Brady.Heard he went to work for Nasa packing shuttle rigs.And my freind that wittnesedi t.Was working on the roof of a Pizza hut when it happened.And when he told me about it. 5 years later he was still haunted by it.Said it was the worst thing he had ever seen.I know after that Crew guys with 7 cells never mixed with 5 cell swifts. And 9 and 7 cells where also a bad combo.
(This post was edited by cosmo22 on May 21, 2008, 9:17 PM)
