skreamer 1 #1 February 26, 2001 I can't believe that that crap article from the Shreveport Times was used on dropzone.com to describe the bounce at Shreveport. The article starts : 'A 28-year-old Shreveport man was killed Sunday after both his parachute and reserve chute failed to open in a 10,000-foot sky diving exercise near Downtown Airport.'The reason that both chutes failed to open is because they were never deployed in the first place and the FXC failed to fire. I posted negatively re. this article on the old Forum and it saddens me that you have chosen to use it on dropzone.com. I know you have been REALLY busy Sangiro, but I would be more than happy to rewrite that article for you - sticking to the facts and not stirring up melodrama the way this article does. Imagine whuffos browsing dz.com and reading on your index page "both parachutes failed to open". It is doing the sport and your site a disservice./sps bet you must be getting sick of all the *constructive* criticism - I've been there, right at about this stage you start hating the site and wish you never started it in the first place. Keep the faith, dz.com is now the definitive skydiving site on the net (and I have checked out the competition both on your and that other webring). Vasbyt boeta! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sangiro 4 #2 February 26, 2001 By all means - I'd welcome and article from you on the fatality. I grab the Reuters and AP news feeds and as you mentioned did not have the time to scrutinize everything...I'd prefer never to have to use ANY whuffo media content...but then you folks need to help me write stuff. (Thanks Lisa!) Too much for me. Must sleep.... Safe swoopsSangiro Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig 0 #3 February 26, 2001 The thing of it is, I don't think there has been and definitive follow-ups made on the fatality investigation wise anyhow. I think there is alot of speculation so far. At least that is the impression I get from the info I have came across. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tigra 0 #4 February 26, 2001 Screamer, he's posting the article as it appeared. Being able to read skydiving related stories as they are published, good or bad, is one of the benefits of this site. We will never be happy with the way journalists report about skydiving accidents or fatalities.As far as you rewriting the article with only the facts, do you know the facts? Because last I heard this incident was still being investigated, and there is a lot of speculation out there. This was a really tragic incident, but don't blame Sangiro for posting the article. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deleted 0 #5 February 26, 2001 Me *blaming* the head honcho, el numero uno, the uber dude Sangiro? :)Tigra if you read my original post again you will see I used the phrase 'it saddens me' and I did also acknowledge the fact that Sangiro has put in a hell of a lot of work to give us a better dz.com.If that article was used, but with the opening sentence edited out, would that be such a bad thing? I don't think so. There is bad reporting, there is really bad reporting and then there is this article. I disagree that we should print whatever some whuffo journalist decides to write, simply because they are a journalist and we should accept their crap off SAPA or Reuters.This was a tragic incident, I don't *blame* Sangiro for using the story, I just feel that the opening sentence for that article is exacerbating an already sad situation.Would you really want somebody considering AFF to read that article as it is? This was a No Pull, maybe a cypres would have made a difference, we'll never know. I stand by what I posted previously - this article (as it is at present) should not be on dz.com (IMHO). And no, obviously I don't know all the facts, but I do know that that opening sentence is misleading and potentialy damaging to this site and the sport.But then the journalist probably made lots of $$$ when his story got picked up by all the bigger papers.*sigh*/s Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SKY 0 #6 February 26, 2001 they may not report correctly, but its a healthy dose of what can happen, and why safety is number one on the check list Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skreamer 1 #7 February 26, 2001 I agree with you 100% and I am going to keep replying to every damn post until I get rid of that (newbie) under my name - it is driving the geek in me insane!/s Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #8 February 26, 2001 You don't happen to know what the magic numbers are and what the different ratings are, do you? I didn't see it on the FAQ. The newbie thing is bugging the crap out of me. AggieDave '02-------------Blue Skies and Gig'em Ags!BTHO t.u. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skreamer 1 #9 February 26, 2001 Dude - totally!I say we threaten Sangiro with phragging, phreaking, spamming, smurfing, spoofing and nuking until he gives us the respect we are due! Respect mah authoritah!!!/sHey Aggie, can you say : 'We demand...'PS how do I toyi-toyi with an emoticon?PPS Aggie I got an idea check for the new post, we'll gippo the system. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iflyme 0 #10 February 26, 2001 Skreamer, I suspect you know as much about journalism as the writer of the article knows about skydiving. A "general duties" journalist has to gather and interpert new information, often gained from an expert in a particular field the writer knows nothing about, assimilate it, then reshape it in the form of brief article. While I find any news of a skydiving fatality distressing, I don't find any glaring inaccuracies in this article. The writer characterizes Jason, who had about 25 jumps, and "intermediate". We know, of course that you are still considered a novice until you are closing in on 200 jumps. And while the writer may not have completely mastered the jargon we use, it seems to me that this is likely a pretty accurate and informative representation of what may have happened. If either of Jason's canopies had opened, he would probably not have died. Perhaps the phrase "landed head first" is melodramatic, but the writer believes that description helps the reader better understand the struggle Jason was having with his equipment. As this journalist is clearly not as informed about skydiving as those of who participate in the sport, we must draw our own conclusion about what happened to Jason, based on the details provided in the article. And, quite frankly, I appreciate Sangiro posting this and other articles about fatalities. It prompts us to pay more attention to our own safety. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diver123 0 #11 February 26, 2001 While there is merit in both the statement from "Iflyme" and "skreamer", I don't think it's anything to fuss about. Skreamer, you're right, it isn't written as tactfully as it could be if the author had been 'better informed'. And it did worry me a bit at first glance to see "both chutes failed"! Iflyme, you're also right in what you said about the protocols of being a field journalist. How about this; Why don't we all relax for a minute, say a prayer for our fallen brother, and then use this as a reminder to all of us that sh_t happens so enjoy the time we've got... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skreamer 1 #12 February 26, 2001 No need to suspect I know nothing about journalism, I don't and that is a moot point. I respect the fact that you work in journalism too (albeit a different medium), but I still have an issue with the opening sentence of that article (not the whole thing). If you would care to scroll up and have another look you will see that that is quite clear. It was perhaps unfair of me describe the article as 'crap' based on the attention-seeking opening sentence. But I still have a problem with it. I respect the fact that you feel all articles (negative or positive) should be posted in the interests of education and prevention. I, however, see it from the viewpoint of the whuffo thinking about trying skydiving and viewing this site for more info. This site is not only meant for experienced jumpers and a little discretion wouldn't hurt. That article would./s Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skreamer 1 #13 February 26, 2001 Sorry, diver123, we were posting at the same time. You are right, and Frank is right when he says we should learn from accidents to prevent them from ever recurring (and compounding the tragedy).I think that article annoyed me a bit, and I should have more consideration for the man who died and his family.skreamer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tigra 0 #14 February 26, 2001 Hey Screamer, I see your frustration, but for me, I guess I've just gotten used to the common misconceptions whuffos have about skydiving. From the time I made my very first tandem 5 years ago, every whuffo friend, relative, co-worker or casual aquaintence has felt the need to inform me of every skydiving related horror story they have ever heard, and also express their unsolicited opinions as to my sanity. And it seems like all of them know someone who knows someone whose cousin's neighbors brother made a skydive and died because "his chute didn't open". Anytime a skydiving fatality makes it in to the mainstream media, people call me and ask me questions, and as patiently as I can, I explain that the majority of skydiving fatalities do not occur because the parachute fails. I'll explain about reserves, emergency procedures, aad's, high performance canopies, all of it, if they are willing to take the time to listen. But we really can't control or educate the media, as much as we would like to, and skydiving gets way more bad press than good. Expecting a "whuffo" reporter to differentiate between "his chute failed to open" and "he failed to open either parachute" is unfortunately asking too much. And as far as what non-skydivers would think when they read this particular article, well, if they have already discovered this site, they are interested in skydiving and learning all they can about it, so chances are they will look into this in more detail and gather a little more information. I really don't see the harm. In spite of all the bad press and misconceptions, this sport continues to grow.Fatalities and injuries are a very sad reality in this sport, and its only fair that any "wannabe" or "soon to be" AFF student knows and understands this. Hopefully, the knowledge will make him or her a safer skydiver. Blue ones!t Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #15 October 11, 2002 As a freelance journalist for Skydiving Magazine for a couple of years now, I have some chops. Not many (freelancers lack true journalism credentials [read - union membership]), but they are sufficient, such that I have taken whuffo reporters to task for getting it really wrong. Can't do much about whuffo reporters writing about "parachute failed to open", but the hatchet job a SacBee reporter was doing on Lodi in the wake of Jan Davis' death in 2001 (Jan from Lodi, not Jan, spouse of Tom Sanders who went in during a BASE jump at El Capitan) was given extra attention by me."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #16 October 11, 2002 How the heck did you dig up this thread? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
howardwhite 5 #17 October 12, 2002 Not "how" so much as "why?" It was a year and a half ago and lacks all context. I see this on wreck.skydiving a lot where "parachute for sale" goes back a year or so and refers to something entirely different from what is now for sale. Check dates, please. HW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tigra 0 #18 October 12, 2002 What are you, the thread police?? I guess I can see your point, since the title of the thread mentions a fatality everyone will click on it to see what happened. I know I did, and that's a little disturbing. But all in all, if someone wants to recycle an old thread, what's the harm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,635 #19 October 12, 2002 Quote But all in all, if someone wants to recycle an old thread, what's the harm? Maura, You are altogether too logical. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #20 October 12, 2002 I was pretty zonked at work late this afternoon...I was totally out of it and didn't check the date on the thread. Don't know how it came up, actually."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #21 October 12, 2002 One thing to notice: It's so old that you see skreamer complaining about his "newbie" status & vowing to post until he loses it. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #22 October 12, 2002 Quotevowing to post until he loses it I guess that rookie got burned out and quit. Now he hardly ever posts..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
