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Location |
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Jump Information |
| Date: |
2004-09-17 |
Category: |
Collision  |
| Country: |
Australia |
Factors: |
Canopy Collision
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| State: |
|
Jump Type: |
Camera or Video |
| Drop Zone: |
Skydive Express |
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Gear |
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Personal Information |
| Container: |
Javelin |
Sex: |
Male |
| Main: |
Stiletto 135 |
Age: |
32 |
| Reserve: |
|
Jumps: |
715 |
| AAD: |
Yes |
Years in Sport: |
3.5 |
| RSL: |
No |
Name: |
Damien Frane Ivicevich |
| Description |
Background
It was a clear cool day with 0-5 knot southerly winds. The jumper was a current ‘E’ Licensed holder with 102 jumps in the past six months and 30 jumps in the last month, most being camera jumps for 4-way or 8-way teams. The jump was his 4th jump of the day and part of a 4-way team-training day in preparation for the up-coming State Meet. The deceased was an experienced freeflier, flatflier, cameraperson and canopy pilot.
The jump
The deceased was the videographer for a four-way team, which was the first group to exit the Cessna Caravan at 13,500 feet. Exit time was approximately 4.30pm. The freefall and deployment were normal. The deceased was the first to open, deploying on break-off as briefed and was therefore higher under canopy than the other team members. During the course of his canopy descent he made some apparently intentional turns, which brought him down to the same level as the highest canopy of the four-way team. (It was common practice for the deceased to intentionally spiral down so as to loose height to land before the highest, more lightly loaded team member.)
This other jumper involved in the incident saw the canopy flying towards him, despite having the sun in his eyes, took evasive action to avoid collision. Even so, a glancing contact occurred at an altitude of not more than 300 feet. This jumper reported feeling lines and possibly some minor body contact indicating that the deceased was the lower of the two at the moment of contact. The deceased may have been only just straightening up from his turn, as the canopy appeared to still have some downwards momentum as the two collided.
The collision caused the deceased’s canopy to spin into a line twist and it continued to rotate rapidly until impact occurred a few seconds later. The altitude was so low that a cutaway was not an option and even an immediate reserve deployment without first cutting away may have had little effect. Although witnesses report that he was observed trying to control the canopy, he impacted at very high speed in an almost horizontal position. The other jumper involved in the collision landed safely nearby without further incident. (This DZ has a nominated landing pattern and a left hand turn to set up for landing is the rule and had been in place throughout the day.)
Those first to the scene found the deceased unconscious, not breathing and without a pulse. First-aid and CPR was administered at the site. This continued when the ambulance arrived and until the Medivac Helicopter arrived. A doctor pronounced the jumper dead at the site.
An inspection of the equipment showed no damage to the canopy or lines. His reserve handle and cutaway handle were in place. His brakes were released and the slider had been stowed indicating he had a normal opening and was in control of his canopy prior to the incident. The video camera was found to be running but examination of the footage showed that it had been turned off shortly after opening and restarted either by the impact or inadvertently by the one of the first persons on the scene.
Conclusions
The low angle of the sun (4.30pm) may have been a factor affecting the capacity of both jumpers to keep track of each other. Additionally the helmet-mounted camera worn by the deceased may have restricted his ability to look around for other canopies. (It was an open-faced style but with a fairly large camera mounted on the left.)
It would seem that the deceased did not see the other canopy as he came out of the turns and therefore did not appear to take any action to avoid the collision. The avoiding action taken by the other jumper involved in the incident obviously reduced the potential for this to be a double fatality. At the height that the collision occurred there was little time available to the jumper to regain control of the canopy.
It is now common for clubs to be operating with larger aircraft and more jumpers attempting to land in the same landing areas with high performance canopies. It is critical that everyone takes extra care to know where people are in the air to reduce the incidence of canopy collisions and subsequent injury or death.
This incident highlights the need for vigilance and care by all whilst under canopy at all times. This is especially important at times when conditions and daylight may hinder a jumper’s vision and perception.
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