Another article re: Skydive Chicago

[wildblue 4]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-0207210281jul21.story?null
Deaths cloud Illinois firm's skydive record
Critics question safety, location
By Maurice Possley and Jon Hilkevitch, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune staff reporters Ray Gibson and H. Gregory Meyer contributed to this report

July 21, 2002

OTTAWA, Ill. -- As the sport's top official looked on, three skydivers under high-performance parachutes lined up their approach to a tiny swimming pond late last Sunday afternoon at Skydive Chicago.

They were "pond swooping," a crowd-pleasing stunt where a skydiver skims across the water, much like a water-skier, and then walks ashore. There was little room for error, with a dock jutting into the water on one side, a swimming platform in the center and trees all around.

The first two made it, but Ronald Passmore Jr., 33, a skydiver with more than 1,300 jumps, was in trouble. He made a dangerous low turn, slammed the water chest first and was killed.

Passmore's death, the sixth at Skydive Chicago in the past 12 months, is a graphic example of not only the inherent dangers of an increasingly popular and loosely regulated sport, but also the difficulty that skydiving operators face in policing the participants.

Some critics say Skydive Chicago's fatality rate in 12 months--eight times higher than the national average--suggests an atmosphere that fails to adequately emphasize safety. Since 1993, 13 skydiving deaths have occurred at Skydive Chicago, which is run by Roger Nelson.

At the same time, skydivers, pilots and air traffic controllers report that skydiving operations in the busy flight route into O'Hare International and Midway Airports have caused near collisions between commercial jets and the jump planes disgorging divers into dense cloudbanks.

"Skydiving in Chicago is an accident waiting to happen," one pilot declared in a report to federal authorities of a near miss in 2000.

After Passmore's death, Nelson said he banned "pond swooping" at the busy drop zone here. And Chris Needels, the executive director of United States Parachute Association who witnessed the accident, said it should never have been allowed because of the pond's size and design.

According to the association, the sport's governing body, more than 350,000 people make about 3.3 million jumps a year with an annual average of 30 fatalities per year over the past decade. The rate of student fatalities is even lower, the association reports.

In the five other fatal accidents since July 9, 2001, at Skydive Chicago, two deaths occurred when divers' parachutes became entangled 100 feet above the ground. Another diver was killed during free fall--the period before a parachute is opened--in a 120 m.p.h. mid-air collision with another skydiver, who survived. A woman died when her main and reserve parachutes became entangled after being deployed at a low altitude. Another skydiver was killed when his parachute malfunctioned. An autopsy revealed the presence of cocaine, marijuana and Ecstasy in his body.

In an interview last week, Nelson, 46, a world champion skydiver with more than 9,000 jumps, called the facility "the premier center in the world," saying his facilities, equipment, instructors and safety precautions "are second to none."

The drop zone, located about 80 miles southwest of Chicago, will be the site of the U.S. national championships in September.

"It is very sad and disturbing to me that people have died here," Nelson said. "One is too many. I do everything possible to personally keep that situation from occurring."

"Unfortunately, we attract people from around the world because this is the destination and we have people with different training," Nelson said. "And quite frankly, I have to say the training in the sport is not perfect. It is not consistent.

"These people dying are experienced people pushing the envelope. What happened to Ron, I had no knowledge of. Pond-swooping is ... very difficult and it is for trained professionals."

Commercial pilots' fears

Not only skydivers are at risk. Commercial pilots have reported near misses with skydivers in freefall and jump planes over the four drop zones that ring Chicago. Skydiving groups also are based in Kankakee, Hinckley and Morris.

At least three times since 1993, pilots have reported near misses in the southwest approach paths to Midway and O'Hare, records show. In August 1993, a pilot reported being forced into a quick descent to avoid a plane "involved in parachute jumping at Ottawa Airport," according to a copy of the report obtained by the Tribune. At the time, Nelson's operations were based at that airport, but it is unclear if the incident involved his plane.

Two years ago, a commercial jet pilot who took evasive action to avoid a collision stated in his report: "Why do parachute jumpers have to ply their trade [in a path] to the busiest airport in the world?"

Last September, a Boeing 737 pilot reported a near miss, saying, "It was very close ... I estimate less than 100 feet vertical and 500 feet horizontal"--just seconds away from a collision, aviation officials say.

"Jumpers from Skydive Chicago are in the absolute worst place to be," said Bryan Zilonis, a veteran air-traffic controller at the FAA's Chicago Center facility in Aurora. He said the club's jump aircraft climb directly into the middle of the busy arrival corridor. In the club's jump zone, commercial aircraft approaching O'Hare are descending to 11,000 feet and planes bound for Midway are in the 6,000-foot range, Zilonis said. He said the jumpers bail out of their aircraft at altitudes of 10,000 to 14,000 feet.

Zilonis said the increasing number of skydivers adds to the workload, sometimes fraying controllers' nerves. But under FAA rules, skydivers "have just as much right to the airspace as anyone else."

"All we can do is call out [the presence of other] traffic to them and hope that the planes and jumpers are not really as close to each other as they appear on our radar scopes."

In 1999 the National Transportation Safety Board recommended tracking parachute accidents to monitor drop zone safety, but the Federal Aviation Administration withdrew the proposal after U.S. Parachute Association lobbying, according to federal records and interviews.

At the time, the FAA said it lacked the resources to track such incidents and noted that the requirement would impose "a significant paperwork burden" on skydiving operators.

Under the parachute association's rules, complaints about drop-zone safety violations are heard by the association's regional directors, who may order an inquiry and recommend censure or expulsion from the association. Gary Peek, regional director for Illinois for the past three years, said he has never ordered an inquiry. He said he dismissed the lone complaint he received about Skydive Chicago because it was not credible.

Nelson said that about a fourth of the 75,000 jumps annually at Skydive Chicago are tandem jumps made by students with an instructor physically buckled to their backs.

First-time jumpers pay $159 to $189. After a second jump, a skydiver can purchase a 17-jump package for $1,800. After 20 jumps, a skydiving license is issued. From then on, jumps can cost $20 each or less for skydivers with their own equipment.

Few lawsuits, no winners

Only a handful of suits have been filed and none has been successful. Nelson said jumpers sign a four-page liability release. First-time divers watch a video that repeatedly states that skydiving can be fatal.

Terry Murray, a high-ranking employee at Skydive Chicago until 1998, contends that Nelson allows skydivers to jump through clouds and in bad weather--a dangerous action forbidden by the FAA.

"He's pushing for the almighty dollar," said Murray, who now drives a truck. "He puts students up in unsafe conditions--jumping through solid and low layers of clouds, in high winds. You can't see what's below. There were times when jumpers went out at 13,000 feet and didn't see the ground until at 900 feet."

Murray recalled a time several years ago when he and Nelson jumped in tandem with two students into heavy clouds and because of winds and poor visibility wound up more than 12 miles from the drop zone. "We hitchhiked back to the airport," Murray said.

He said Nelson's philosophy was, "Let them jump--we need the loads."

Nelson disputes Murray's allegations, calling them the "lies of a deranged man."

"We do not jump in clouds," he said. At the same time, he said student income is crucial to his business. "I have loans and mortgages up to the hilt and I need every day of income to make this thing go," he said.

Karen Kirby-Hall, a nurse from Oak Park, learned to skydive at Nelson's facility in 1998 and has jumped more than 150 times. "I jumped through clouds as a student," she said.

She and other skydivers characterize Nelson as a charismatic, aggressive skydiver who pushes his students too quickly to advance to more difficult maneuvers and high-performance equipment.

Others disagree.

Donovan Bartlett, an instructor at Skydive Chicago whose fiance was one of the skydivers who died last year, said, "I have seen Roger ... pull people aside and tell them they are doing something dangerous. Safety is the foremost concern here."

Nelson also disputes allegations of unsafe conditions or the existence of a "cowboy" mentality at the facility, saying he fires instructors and bans or grounds jumpers who engage in dangerous activities.

"But I cannot control human error," he said. "Once they leave that airplane, there is nothing that I can do to stop them or save them."


Copyright © 2002, Chicago Tribune

it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

[kallend 1,679]

Quote

"Jumpers from Skydive Chicago are in the absolute worst place to be," said Bryan
Zilonis, a veteran air-traffic controller at the FAA's Chicago Center facility in Aurora.
He said the club's jump aircraft climb directly into the middle of the busy arrival
corridor. In the club's jump zone, commercial aircraft approaching O'Hare are
descending to 11,000 feet and planes bound for Midway are in the 6,000-foot range,
Zilonis said. He said the jumpers bail out of their aircraft at altitudes of 10,000 to
14,000 feet.

Zilonis said the increasing number of skydivers adds to the workload, sometimes
fraying controllers' nerves. But under FAA rules, skydivers "have just as much right to
the airspace as anyone else."

This is very curious. Skydive Chicago is not located under any published approach route into O'Hare or Midway. The "Bradford 3" arrival route is about 4 miles north of the DZ. However the jump planes always climb out to the west and south.

Morris (Skydive Illinois) is closer to a published route ("MOTIF 2"), but not right under it.

I also question whether ATC can see jumpers on their radar, as stated in the article.

The whole thing reeks of a witch-hunt with misinformation designed to alarm the uninformed.

Chris, any thoughts?

[Shark 0]

Bummer, but a very interesting article.

[wildblue 4]

Quote

The whole thing reeks of a witch-hunt with misinformation designed to alarm the uninformed.

I actually thought it was a fairly well done article - considering some of the other garbage papers come up with.

I doubt they can see the individual jumpers - I assume what the controller was actually say was they could see 'their planes' and the jump planes, and was hoping it wasn't as close as it looked.

What other parts of the article do you disagree with?

it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

[AggieDave 6]

For once I thought it was a fairly well written article. All the stuff about jumpers in line with the airport, shouldn't ATC be routing stuff around jump operations? Maybe its just me, but I seriously doubt that it is the dropzone's fault, especially since skydiving ops aren't allowed in the class of airspace they would use, right?

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[scottbre 0]

I doubt you could come up with a more objectively put together article. He puts both sides of the story in it, and lets the facts and quotes speak for themselves.

"Your mother's full of stupidjuice!"
My Art Project

[diverdriver 5]

The Bradford 3 is just more than 4 miles NW of SDC. The arrivals come through there at 15,000 usually but can come through as low as 12,000. It makes them much easier to see and avoid (since we ARE VFR) flying skydivers. I don't think people understand that skydiving is the ONLY VFR operation required by FAR to be in contact with ATC to do what we do. There should NEVER be a near miss between jumpers/jumpships/and airliners. We all have transponders. We should all be in contact with ATC. And ATC knows where each of us is going. It just shouldn't happen given a little education and due consideration.

Now you talk about the Motif 2 arrival across Joliet (JOT) VOR. It is standard for them to cross 5 SW of JOT at 6,000. That is right near Morris Airport on the west side. I believe the "near miss" described in the article came from a NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) report which can be found on page 89-91 at this LINK. They were given the common clearance to cross JOT. When aircraft come by SDC on the Bradford 3 they do NOT go to JOT. They go direct ORD (O'Hare) VOR from BDF (Bradford). Read the last line of the airline reporter. I would say this is the quote they are using in the article.

I would say that it is being insinuated that SDC is the dropzone at fault for this when I seriously disagree. And we have a skydiver to thank for that misinformation given to the Tribune.

When I was flying full time at SDC I had controllers ride right seat about 2-3 times per year. They all thought we did a fine job flying in the airspace around SDC. To say there were never any problems isn't true either. We've had planes come through the airspace headed for Oshkosh every July. I've had to circle waiting to drop on many occasions. Through coordination with ATC and the jumpers in the back looking down I'd say we've done a good job keeping safe. But I guess you'll have to take my word for it since I have no "Gold star certificates" with Chicago Center's signature on it for doing what is right.

Chris Schindler

[diverdriver 5]

AggieDave,

I think you (and many others) have a misconception of what "airspace" airliners use. Airliners use it ALL. And yes, skydivers can jump through "Class B" airspace. [EDITED FOR CLARITY: SDC DOES NOT JUMP THROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE] Class B airspace is that area around our largest/buisiest airports in the nation. Skydive Las Vegas does it all the time. They coordinate with the controllers there to get access to the airspace for altitude. And there is nothing wrong with it. Skydive Monterey Bay drops through Class C (a little less restrictive than Class B and not as wide) for dropping on their main DZ.

I happen to be one of the professional pilots who have flown at SDC and I take GREAT exception with what was written there. It implies that near misses at other DZs are SDCs fault by putting it in the same article continuing on about Ron's death.

All you people who say that "if ya gotta die, then you hope you go while skydiving" should really think about that statement. Look at the results. Look at what it does to our sport.

"You gotta die sometime so why not?" BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!

You don't have the right to leave the living with this mess!

Chris Schindler

[PhreeZone 15]

Are you seriously going to tell 10-15 backed up MD-80's and 737's that they have to divert their approach to allow a jump plane to climb and exit or are you going to tell the jump plane to divert?

From what I understand the DZ sits outside the restricted airspace, but I've seen one passenger plane with me in freefall above SDC. We were able to tell that it was an American Airlines MD-80 too off the video from Summerfest last year too, could almost count the windows... There was usually a plane that flew directly overhead once every 15-25 minutes or so last summer when I was at the DZ. I could usually see the rest pass with in a few miles, far enough away, but still odd to see.

Edited for grammer.....

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[wildblue 4]

Easy Chris... read this line again:
---
Not only skydivers are at risk. Commercial pilots have reported near misses with skydivers in freefall and jump planes over the four drop zones that ring Chicago. Skydiving groups also are based in Kankakee, Hinckley and Morris.
---

Granted, they started in on another topic, when most of the article is in regards to SDC - but they're just stating that near misses have happened. Of course the airline pilots are going to blame it on us.

it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

Are you seriously going to tell 10-15 backed up MD-80's and 737's that they have to divert their approach to allow a jump plane to climb and exit or are you going to tell the jump plane to divert?

Yes! Unless, I'm on one of those planes, then they better not...

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Sinkster 0]

Someone on rec.skydiving summed up how I feel about this article nicely when he wrote:

"The article was long on innuendo and "he-said, she said", but short on specific evidence. An indication that it is a witch-hunt could be seen in the attempt to link "near misses" between jump planes and airliners on approach to Midway and O'Hare, to Skydive Chicago operations. SDC is NOT under any published airport approach route or any airway. Another Illinois DZ is under the Midway localizer, but the way the article was written the reader is led to infer it is SDC. Either poor research or an absence of journalistic ethics."

See this thread.

[scottbre 0]

You know what. Regardless of how much of what is said about SDC is true, there still seems to be an aweful lot of controversy surrounding it and how safe it is to jump there. That's why I choose not to.

"Your mother's full of stupidjuice!"
My Art Project

[CameraGeek 0]

I'd like to point out that there are times when its appropriate to comment publicly and there are times to let things be handled in less public forums.

It's my personal opinion, but I think this is a good time to do a lot less public airing of laundry and vendettas and a lot more thinking on all of our parts. No, that is NOT directed at anyone or any post relfected here. Chris and John are expressing their beliefs as they can and should - others have their own to express. But maybe now and here is not appropriate for all of the discussion.

I'd also add someone crossed a line - jumpers do not rat out their own.

Terry Murray - I have known you since day one in the sport. You ratted us all out - every skydiver at every drop zone in America. Your vendetta has gone on far enough and it needs to stop and stop NOW Terry. Today. This instant.

To all skydivers everywhere - be prepared for some unexpected results from this! Yes - you - at your drop zone.

Personal issues on ANYONE'S part do not belong in a national newspaper - period. The article was what it was - a lot of things, but definitely no good for the sport as a whole.

Robbie Culver
disappointed camera geek

[scottbre 0]

Quote

I'd also add someone crossed a line - jumpers do not rat out their own.

If something is being done that is illegal or dangerous, they better "rat out their own." We shouldn't have to "cover up" for others in the sport who choose to make stupid decisions.

DISCLAIMER: The above comment is intentionally of a general nature and should be read as such. I am referring to or implying nothing more than I said.

"Your mother's full of stupidjuice!"
My Art Project

[skybytch 259]

Quote

To all skydivers everywhere - be prepared for some unexpected results from this! Yes - you - at your drop zone.

Good point Robbie.

If enough whuffos get upset about what's in that article, regardless of if it is fact or fiction, expect regulation of skydiving to be at least proposed in the Chicago area. That is what could very well affect all of us, and our home dz's.

[AndyMan 7]

Quote

That's why I choose not to.

I don't tend to jump there regularly, I also don't tend to say overly positive things, but I will say that never once have I ever felt that I am less safe at SDC then any other DZ. I trust their pilots, mechanics, and instructors completely.

You're making the same mistake the whuffos do when you make comments like that - believing people with vendenttas who're trying to hurt a person and a business.

Go there, hang out, get to know the people, enjoy the place. Then decide if it's worth the longer drive. But don't refuse to go there just because somebody said they're dangerous. They're not.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[kallend 1,679]

Quote

Are you seriously going to tell 10-15 backed up MD-80's and 737's that they
have to divert their approach to allow a jump plane to climb and exit or are
you going to tell the jump plane to divert?

I don't think that is the case. The "standard" published approach that goes anywhere near SDC is about 4.5nm to the north-north-west. The jump planes climb out to the south west. I've never asked the pilot, but I guess they climb out that way to keep clear of the airliners. If airliners go right over SDC (and they do) they are either off course (unlikely) or have been vectored there by ATC. In the latter case, it is disingenouous for a controller to complain, since ATC certainly knows where the DZ is.

[kallend 1,679]

Remember that you read the article with the background of a skydiver. 99.999% of the readers are neither skydivers nor pilots. The way the article was structured, with juxtaposition of various "facts" and omission of some details in such a way as to imply linkages that don't exist was, in my opinion, very misleading. An uninformed reader will be left with the very distinct impression that a "near miss" (stupid expression) took place over SDC when it actually occurred elsewhere, and that SDC was deliberately sited under an approach path to OHare. (It isn't).

I am a licensed driver. If I drive the wrong way down a one-way street and kill myself and others, I don't see that the car dealer where I bought the car, the car wash where I get it cleaned, and AMOCO gas station are to blame. Yet this article IMPLIES very strongly that a DZ operator is to blame when licensed, experienced skydivers hook themselves into the ground or collide with each other in the air, and the general public will not know any better.


I take issue with the whole tone of the article.

[Jessica 0]

Can someone who gets the dead-tree Trib let us know what kind of play this got? Cover of Metro? Buried inside?

Skydiving is for cool people only

[kallend 1,679]

<<got? Cover of Metro? Buried inside?>>>

Front page, section 1, banner headline. If you picked one up at a supermarket or gas station, the headline would be staring you in the face.

[diverdriver 5]

It was front page.

Chris

[scottbre 0]

Quote

But don't refuse to go there just because somebody said they're dangerous. They're not.

I haven't refused to go there. But I've made no special effort to go there either. It's not because some people say it is dangerous, but rather because there is so much controversy about it. I have plenty of DZ's available to me that noone seems to be able to find anything bad to say about.

Should a convenient opportunity to go to SDC arise, I probably will. But I don't plan on looking for or trying to arrange that opportunity. Even if rumors are just rumors, there are plenty of dropzones around that have somehow managed to not have rumors that extreme told about them.

"Your mother's full of stupidjuice!"
My Art Project

[jlmiracle 7]

__________________________________________________
He's pushing for the almighty dollar," said Murray, who now drives a truck. "He puts students up in unsafe conditions--jumping through solid and low layers of clouds, in high winds. You can't see what's below. There were times when jumpers went out at 13,000 feet and didn't see the ground until at 900 feet."

Murray recalled a time several years ago when he and Nelson jumped in tandem with two students into heavy clouds and because of winds and poor visibility wound up more than 12 miles from the drop zone. "We hitchhiked back to the airport," Murray said.
_____________________________________________

I don't understand if Terry Murray (one of the nasty ones on rec.dot) is a tandem master and had such a problem jumping through clouds, why didn't he just refuse? Did Roger force him and his student to put gear on, and push him out of the airplane?

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[PhreeZone 15]

I'm pretty sure its not this way at SDC, but full time TM's sometimes have to suck it up and jump in conditions that they don't like just because the tandems are there and money talks. I've heard stories on here of jumping in 30 mph winds, heavy clouds, rain, night, fog and other conditions that most fun jumper go home for. But when your only income is coming from jumping, and the DZO says jump or your fired.... it does'nt leave many options.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com