Follow up on incidents

[Skytroubadour 0]

Hi everyone,

We read about loads of incidents on this forum, many are fatal. I assume i'm not the only one eager for answers. We all want to learn from past mistakes so we don't make the same in the future.

However, often enough, the answers never make their way to this forum and I am left with unanswered questions.

I assume they exist somewhere though, so I was wondering what sources of information you use personally? Any other forum(s) similar to this one? Dedicated Facebook groups? Official websites from Parachute associations/manufacturers/Aviation authorities?

I do understand some resources might not be available unless you have specific credentials (As for myself, i'm just a TI).

Thank you for your kind input!

PS: Sorry If this ain't the right place to post this, feel free to move this post if necessary.

[timski 80]

food for thought: Good instructors like to teach the right way rather than the wrong. Not that we all can't learn from our own and the mistakes of others... Focus on the positive grasshopper.

[wmw999 2,334]

Unfortunately, mixed in with those people who want to learn are the ones who want to point fingers at a dz/jumper who pissed them off once, the ones who want to make sure that everyone knows that they would never make such a mistake, and the ones who want to "protect the reputation" of dzs and jumpers (maybe the deceased) from the speculation and finger-pointing.

Learn for yourself; by knowing what the pitfalls are, you can be a good example of avoiding them. It's much easier to have a decided-on and defined path, than to have to be constantly aware of what might be attacking you (or failing) along the way. It might still fail, but if you've reduced the size of the path, you've reduced some of the failures.

Most of the lessons are fairly consistent:

understand your properly-sized and properly-used gear.

think about and practice your emergency procedures, including in situations you see realtime (e.g. after someone tells you the story about their hairy opening

altitude. you have to fall slowly to survive the landing.

consider your experience level in taking on new complications to jumping. More experience means there is more basic knowledge in background, which means more room for new knowledge

small, fast gear doesn't make you cool. Being a badass, i.e. mastering the gear and skills you have, and not getting injured doing it, make you cool.

Most countries' parachute associations have analyses or roundups of fatalities, either each one, or on an annual basis. Dropzone.com has a fatalities database with a lot of analysis in it. Unfortunately, just as there are new first-graders every year who have to learn the same material, there are new skydivers every year who make the same mistakes. The mistakes of 10 years ago, when dz.com was really thoroughly used, aren't that different from the mistakes of now.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Skytroubadour 0]

timski

food for thought: Good instructors like to teach the right way rather than the wrong. Not that we all can't learn from our own and the mistakes of others... Focus on the positive grasshopper.

I do agree with you on this. However, in this case, i'm just looking for information to improve my understanding of what could go wrong and the ways to prevent this from happening to me or students i'm supervising. I'm not gonna teach students about complex incidents of course.

[hcsvader 1]

Full reports can take up to a year to be completed. Often by the time they are released that incident is long forgotten so the information is not always shared here.

The Australian parachute federation is probably one of the best for completing reports and releasing information, we get emails of the preliminary reports and final reports.

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[Skytroubadour 0]

hcsvader

Full reports can take up to a year to be completed. Often by the time they are released that incident is long forgotten so the information is not always shared here.

The Australian parachute federation is probably one of the best for completing reports and releasing information, we get emails of the preliminary reports and final reports.

This is very good indeed

I suppose i would need an APF rating to get such updates though, but I'll have a look at their website for available reports, if they are public.

Thanks for the heads up.