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Hooknswoop

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"The director of an organization that certifies skydivers said Thursday that the instructor who led a tandem jump in Northern California that turned fatal didn't have the required advanced parachuting certificate.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires tandem-jump instructors to receive training and a certificate from the United States Parachute Association, which found no records of Yong Kwon"...
" Ed Scott, the executive director of the parachute association, said officials searched its records using several variations of Kwon's name and found nothing.

Scott said tandem-jump instructors are required to have three years of experience, made more than 500 jumps and completed a three-day tandem-jump course that includes 10 jumps. "



The details may not be correct (which may be the reporter misquoting) but the substance is entirely correct. You're right that the TI might have a master parachutist license from another country. That's the only thing that is incorrect in what Ed said.

You're just jumping on the anti-USPA bandwagon without really knowing what you're talking about.

I'm done, too.

- Dan G

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DanG



The FAA requires a tandem instructor to hold a "Master" parachutist license. That's not a USPA rule, it is an FAA rule.



Look on your 2016 USPA membership card. There is no mention of "Master", "Advanced", "Novice" or any other adjective describing your license level. Neither will you find any such descriptions in the SIM Section 3. Just the letters A, B, C, and D.

Edited to add: The FAI CoP uses only the letters A, B, C and D too. As far as I can tell, France, Britain, Canada and Australia also only use letters to denote license levels.
...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

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Look on your 2016 USPA membership card. There is no mention of "Master", "Advanced", "Novice" or any other adjective describing your license level. Neither will you find any such descriptions in the SIM Section 3. Just the letters A, B, C, and D.

Edited to add: The FAI CoP uses only the letters A, B, C and D too. As far as I can tell, France, Britain, Canada and Australia also only use letters to denote license levels.



All true. Good luck getting the FAA to update the FARs.

I suppose someone could ask for an FAA ruling on whether a D license is equivalent to a Master license. That may have already been done.

If you go by the strict letter of the FARs, then all Tandem Instructors using a USPA license need to be grounded.

- Dan G

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When I look at the frequency of required reserve repacks I save more each year on those, plus the nuisance of it, than I pay on membership. And I personally don't think the FAA would have changed the i/r requirements without USPA's pushing. So I renew even though most of the pilots who take me up don't know what a USPA, or a reserve, for that matter, are.

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I bet he means that it used to be 120 days and now is 180, so that for a year round skydiver, what he saves in repacks roughly pays for membership.
And the FAA wouldn't have changed to 180 without USPA prodding. (Although the PIA was in there too -- I'll have to let someone else better clarify their respective roles.)

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pchapman

I bet he means that it used to be 120 days and now is 180, so that for a year round skydiver, what he saves in repacks roughly pays for membership.
And the FAA wouldn't have changed to 180 without USPA prodding. (Although the PIA was in there too -- I'll have to let someone else better clarify their respective roles.)



PIA filed the petitions but I remember USPA encouraging the move. Oh, and it wasn't for any old rig. Those people with expensive custom made leather rigs were SOL and stuck at 60 days.

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USPA museum, er. the Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame. How many jumpers go to Fredericksburg, Virginia to see it? Seems like a waste of money for the average jumper and student who buys membership.

Dipshit: it will be in Orlando when it actually is built. Your lack of knowledge undermines your post.

That said, I had a beef with USPA two years ago and resigned my Group membership. It was totally transparent. I still followed all the rules that I would have otherwise agreed to in the Pledge; my airplanes were maintained in accordance with FAA standards; all my instructors had USPA or manufacturer certification according to the FAA rules. I did make students join USPA for the insurance coverage, for their own benefit, since the DZ gets nothing from that. I didn't get the second issue of the Parachutist magazine while we were not GP members. Big deal.

Other than the insurance, there is really no significant benefit for GP members; other than some of the local marketing groups, like Groupon require it.
Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

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A little math, my friend: 180 days is approximately six months. 120 days is approximately 3 months, which equals FOUR repacks per year in the old days, not 6.
Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

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fencebuster

USPA museum, er. the Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame. How many jumpers go to Fredericksburg, Virginia to see it? Seems like a waste of money for the average jumper and student who buys membership.

Dipshit: it will be in Orlando when it actually is built. Your lack of knowledge undermines your post.



"Owning the land – The perfect site was acquired along Interstate 95 in Fredericksburg, Virginia, adjacent to the U.S. Parachute Association headquarters and just 50 miles from our nation’s capital. "
http://skydivingmuseum.org/mission/

" dipshit
Slang a person thought of as being contemptible, weak, stupid, worthless, etc.; jerk: somewhat vulgar
http://www.yourdictionary.com/dipshit

I'd suggest that your temper your language counsellor.

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Except that they are building it in Orlando. Do you really want to go down this rat hole? You are uninformed and behind the power curve, my friend. Read on, and then I'll accept your apology. What you posted was dated 2014. It is August 2016, in case you have had a brain injury.
Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

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fencebuster

A little math, my friend: 180 days is approximately six months. 120 days is approximately 3 months, which equals FOUR repacks per year in the old days, not 6.



As I said. When I started jumping the pack cycle was 60 days. (I remember it as 90, but the citations say 60). Either way, it was not 120 days when I started so I don't see what your point is.

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pchapman

I bet he means that it used to be 120 days and now is 180, so that for a year round skydiver, what he saves in repacks roughly pays for membership.
And the FAA wouldn't have changed to 180 without USPA prodding. (Although the PIA was in there too -- I'll have to let someone else better clarify their respective roles.)



The pack cycle wasn't 120 days when I started jumping. It was lengthened to that at least a year later.

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fencebuster

Except that they are building it in Orlando. Do you really want to go down this rat hole? You are uninformed and behind the power curve, my friend. Read on, and then I'll accept your apology. What you posted was dated 2014. It is August 2016, in case you have had a brain injury.



"Be Nice: More States Are Treating Incivility as a Possible Ethics Violation
Posted Apr 01, 2012 08:20 am CDT
...Moreover, there is no clear consensus on what defines incivility. Brian S. Heslin, another panelist on the program, draws the line at personal attacks. “You’re not crossing the line when you’re belittling the other side’s position or facts,” says Heslin, a member of Moore & Van Allen in Charlotte, N.C. “But when that type of communication is directed at the individuals themselves—say their training, personality, color, ethnicity or age—that’s when we saw people cross the line.”

Lawyers engaging in uncivil behavior run the risk of court sanctions, but in a growing number of jurisdictions, incivility also may land them in front of their state disciplinary bodies on charges of violating ethics rules."
http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/be_nice_more_states_are_treating_incivility_as_a_possible_ethics_violation/

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Really? In a forum about skydiving? I guess I'll just have to take my chances. I hold multiple skydiving Instructor ratings and S & TA appointment. I think I can comment when someone is way off the reservation wrt skydiving and I am not doing it as a lawyer about a lawyer in court. Bring it on; as I have broad shoulders.
Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

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fencebuster

A little math, my friend: 180 days is approximately six months. 120 days is approximately 3 months, which equals FOUR repacks per year in the old days, not 6.



Also, 120 days is approximately four months. We moved numbers around a lot in calculus class but never managed that much delta.

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fencebuster

Really? In a forum about skydiving? I guess I'll just have to take my chances. I hold multiple skydiving Instructor ratings and S & TA appointment. I think I can comment when someone is way off the reservation wrt skydiving and I am not doing it as a lawyer about a lawyer in court. Bring it on; as I have broad shoulders.


and
"Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures "

Marine, your ego is above your pay grade. You insist upon listing all your ratings not once but twice in the same post!:D

You and I mostly agree on the value of USPA membership and no I'm not insulted by that comment. I'm not that thin skinned. I'm just yanking your chain. Thanks for your service

AND to further stroke your unrestrained ego: enjoy!!

ME: All right, all right, I apologize.
fencebuster: You’re really sorry!
ME: I’m really really sorry, I apologize unreservedly.
fencebuster: You take it back!
ME: I do, I offer a complete and utter retraction. The imputation was totally without basis in fact, and was in no way fair comment, and was motivated purely by malice, and I deeply regret any distress that my comments may have caused you, or your family, and I hereby undertake not to repeat any such slander at any time in the future.
fencebuster: OK.

"The Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame is pleased to announce it is collaborating with Skyventure iFly to co-locate the Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame with a 16-foot iFly wind tunnel in North Orlando, Florida. "
http://www.floridaattractions.org/press-releases/3304945

The website states the building site as being in Virginia in at least two places on their website.

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Phil1111

***Except that they are building it in Orlando. Do you really want to go down this rat hole? You are uninformed and behind the power curve, my friend. Read on, and then I'll accept your apology. What you posted was dated 2014. It is August 2016, in case you have had a brain injury.



"Be Nice: More States Are Treating Incivility as a Possible Ethics Violation
Posted Apr 01, 2012 08:20 am CDT
...Moreover, there is no clear consensus on what defines incivility. Brian S. Heslin, another panelist on the program, draws the line at personal attacks. “You’re not crossing the line when you’re belittling the other side’s position or facts,” says Heslin, a member of Moore & Van Allen in Charlotte, N.C. “But when that type of communication is directed at the individuals themselves—say their training, personality, color, ethnicity or age—that’s when we saw people cross the line.”

Lawyers engaging in uncivil behavior run the risk of court sanctions, but in a growing number of jurisdictions, incivility also may land them in front of their state disciplinary bodies on charges of violating ethics rules."
http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/be_nice_more_states_are_treating_incivility_as_a_possible_ethics_violation/ did you really post that? Go douche the sand out of your vagina. How is that for incivility. What the hell is happening to our world. Untwist your panties and get over yourself you nor is fence buster or anything else posted in a skydiving form that important.

As for the USPA yes I'll always have my membership always.are they perfect nope that's what happens when less then 10% of the members/citizens etc actually vote. They are a damn site better then the alternative and I damn sure get my monies worth.

Anyone thinking we are unique I got news for you every single organization associated with anything that offers certifications have the same people bitching/cheering exactly like this. It's funny the ones bitching the loudest Never step up to change it and usually they aren't wanting anything to change they just what to bitch.or the chnages they want would destroy everything if they got their way anyway.

So what if raising the bar for pack opening 500' seems like giving in to the manufacturer so friggen what. If it keeps people off our back as a feel good changes so what. There is zero enforcement of some thing like that it's impossible to enforce we know it and they know it but it SOUNDS good to those that might be able to make life hell for us. That's what then USPA is there to do. Keep up the appearances so we can keep flying and they are doing the best they know how. Think you can do it better then please step up and if you have better ideas people will vote for you or if your ideas only sounds good to you you'll know as you won't get voted in.

There my worthless opinion typed on a worthless internet post that will have no bearing on life in any way shape or form.

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

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Everybody’s opinion is the result of their interactions with USPA. Those that have not had occasion to have dealings with USPA tend to adopt that of their friends. Here are some of the things I have taken from this thread.

The issue of USPA insurance has been brought up by several people. I understand it to be third party insurance. That means damage done to you property by another jumper is not covered. Damage you cause to another jumpers property is not covered. The third party is someone not involved in jumping.

USPA standards make a Group Member DZ safer. This is an assumption on everyone’s part. With no attempt to assure compliance standards are just so many words. Even when USPA is aware that a DZ is in violation of BAR’s and FAR’s no action has been taken by USPA and the DZ’s kept their Group Member status.

As has been mention, decisions made by the BOD’s are increasingly aligned with DZO’s and certain manufactures. If you look at the makeup of the BOD it is more of a Trade Origination than a Member Origination. The “fun jumper” has been kicked to the curb.
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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catfishhunter

******Except that they are building it in Orlando. Do you really want to go down this rat hole? You are uninformed and behind the power curve, my friend. Read on, and then I'll accept your apology. What you posted was dated 2014. It is August 2016, in case you have had a brain injury.



"Be Nice: More States Are Treating Incivility as a Possible Ethics Violation
Posted Apr 01, 2012 08:20 am CDT
...Moreover, there is no clear consensus on what defines incivility. Brian S. Heslin, another panelist on the program, draws the line at personal attacks. “You’re not crossing the line when you’re belittling the other side’s position or facts,” says Heslin, a member of Moore & Van Allen in Charlotte, N.C. “But when that type of communication is directed at the individuals themselves—say their training, personality, color, ethnicity or age—that’s when we saw people cross the line.”

Lawyers engaging in uncivil behavior run the risk of court sanctions, but in a growing number of jurisdictions, incivility also may land them in front of their state disciplinary bodies on charges of violating ethics rules."
http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/be_nice_more_states_are_treating_incivility_as_a_possible_ethics_violation/ did you really post that? Go douche the sand out of your vagina. How is that for incivility. What the hell is happening to our world. Untwist your panties and get over yourself you nor is fence buster or anything else posted in a skydiving form that important.

As for the USPA yes I'll always have my membership always.are they perfect nope that's what happens when less then 10% of the members/citizens etc actually vote. They are a damn site better then the alternative and I damn sure get my monies worth.

Anyone thinking we are unique I got news for you every single organization associated with anything that offers certifications have the same people bitching/cheering exactly like this. It's funny the ones bitching the loudest Never step up to change it and usually they aren't wanting anything to change they just what to bitch.or the chnages they want would destroy everything if they got their way anyway.

So what if raising the bar for pack opening 500' seems like giving in to the manufacturer so friggen what. If it keeps people off our back as a feel good changes so what. There is zero enforcement of some thing like that it's impossible to enforce we know it and they know it but it SOUNDS good to those that might be able to make life hell for us. That's what then USPA is there to do. Keep up the appearances so we can keep flying and they are doing the best they know how. Think you can do it better then please step up and if you have better ideas people will vote for you or if your ideas only sounds good to you you'll know as you won't get voted in.

There my worthless opinion typed on a worthless internet post that will have no bearing on life in any way shape or form.

Checked the panties, they fit just fine and thanks for your help. I started jumping in a club environment and held every position, president,VP, treasurer, DZ safety.

Attended three annual general meetings traveling over 2500 miles to attend one of them alone.Four days in a hotel for that one alone. So I'm familiar with the political end of the situation. And I've paid my dues. You?

But we both agree some clicks in cyberspace is just that. Not much. If I need some panty adjustments can I count on you?

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Bob_Church

When I look at the frequency of required reserve repacks I save more each year on those, plus the nuisance of it, than I pay on membership. And I personally don't think the FAA would have changed the i/r requirements without USPA's pushing. So I renew even though most of the pilots who take me up don't know what a USPA, or a reserve, for that matter, are.



Allen Silver is the one you can thank for the extended repack cycle. He was Chairman of the Rigging Committee for PIA when he pushed this through the FAA's rule making process. I'm not sure how much USPA had to do with it except maybe blessing his efforts. It was a ton of work on Allen's part and he took a lot of grief from riggers who were concerned it would cut into their proceeds. It was the right thing to do and Allen's the one that got it done.

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Hooknswoop

If USPA membership was not mandatory, would you renew yours?

Derek V



It's not mandatory today, but $55/year seems a small price to keep skydiving mostly self-regulated.

Is the USPA perfect? Of course not. Nor does it 'guarantee' that GM DZs are necessarily safer than non-GM DZs.

But it helps establish training standards, lobbies for access to FAA funded airfields, and promotes if not enforces a culture of safety.

If you're trying to hold Lodi up as an example of how good non-USPA DZs are, I'd look for a less contentious example.

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I would gladly support USPA if they prioritized supporting the membership over DZO's.

How did lowering the AFFICC standard benefit the membership?

New skydivers often ask, "How do I know if a DZ is safe or not?" The answer is, "You don't." And the USPA is less than helpful in this area.

In reference to the recent tandem fatality at Lodi, Ed Scott said;

"Skydiving will never be a perfectly safe thing to do," said Ed Scott, executive director of the USPA, a nonprofit organization which works with state and federal officials to promote skydiving safety. If you don't find a location listed on our site, you don't know what you're getting, you don't know what the standards are," Scott said. The important factor with tandem skydiving is the certification and instructor."

This perpetuates the myth that an USPA Group Member DZ is safer than a non-GM DZ. USPA does nothing to ensure this is true and there is no evidence to show that a GM DZ is safer than a non-GM DZ. Send in your check and you are GM DZ.

The NTSB has repeatedly found that jump operations fail to meet very minimal requirements for jumpship maintenance and pilot training. What was USPA's response? Let's have the DZO's self report if they are meeting the minimum standards. This was designed to keep the FAA from performing more ramp checks. The problem is if the DZ is not meeting the standard, they are not going to report themselves and these forms are not checked for accuracy. "USPA will ensure that the form is accurately completed" is not the same as checking that the forms are accurate. How does this serve the membership?

NTSB report here: http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-studies/Documents/SIR0801.pdf

"Plane & Pilot
December 16, 2008
Parachute Jump Operations
The risks go beyond just jumping out of an airplane

This past September, the NTSB completed a special investigation on accidents involving aircraft used in parachute jumping. The U.S. Parachute Association asserts that there are between 2.2 million and 3 million parachute jumps yearly in the United States. The NTSB doesn’t collect statistics on jumper injuries and fatalities unless they’re associated with an aircraft accident. According to the NTSB, since 1980, 172 people, mostly parachutists, have been killed in 32 accidents involving parachute operations.

The NTSB became interested in doing the special investigation after a twin-engine de Havilland DHC-6-100 crashed in Sullivan, Mo., on July 29, 2006. The pilot and five parachutists were killed, and the other two parachutists on board received serious injuries. The turboprop had just taken off when flames began shooting out of the right engine. It flew to just above treetop level, then entered a right turn and crashed.

Investigators found that compressor turbine blades in the right engine had fractured and that the engines were being operated beyond the manufacturer’s recommended TBO (this was legal because the airplane was being flown under Part 91). The NTSB suggested that the developing fractures might have been detected during an overhaul. It also noted that the onboard single-point restraints used by the parachutists to fulfill the seat-belt requirement weren’t as effective as other systems, and likely contributed to the number of injuries and fatalities. Additionally, the airplane’s seating configuration hadn’t been properly documented.

Investigators found that the propeller autofeather system was inoperative and suggested that if it had been working, it might have helped the pilot feather the right prop and, thus, maintain aircraft control. The NTSB concluded that the pilot didn’t maintain adequate airspeed after the engine problem developed.

In its report, the NTSB identified three recurring safety issues in parachute aircraft accidents: inadequate aircraft inspection and maintenance; inadequate FAA oversight/direct surveillance of parachute operations; and deficient pilot performance in basic airmanship. Parachutists may accept the risks associated with jumping out of planes, but they shouldn’t have to accept undue risks while riding inside them. Parachutists are entitled to, at a minimum, an airworthy airplane, an adequately trained pilot and enough FAA oversight to ensure the safety of the operation.

The NTSB found that engines on planes used for parachute operations are often subjected to more wear and tear than those used in other Part 91 operations. They’re exposed to brief cycles of idle, takeoff, climbing, descending and landing, and often aren’t shut down between flights. In a service letter, Continental noted that engines used in parachute operations may require more frequent overhauls than are provided for by published TBO numbers. Pratt & Whitney excluded its turbine engines used on parachute aircraft from participation in programs to extend TBOs.

The NTSB expressed concern that jump operators are allowed to fly under Part 91 while advertising their services to the public and carrying annual passenger loads into the millions. It was also troubled that pilots don’t have to undergo initial and recurrent training specific to parachute flight operations.

In its safety recommendation, the NTSB called on the FAA to require jump operators to develop and use FAA-approved aircraft maintenance and inspection programs that include compliance with engine manufacturers’ service recommendations (e.g., TBOs and component life limits). The NTSB says the FAA should work with the U.S. Parachute Association to assist operators in implementing effective inspection and maintenance quality assurance programs. It wants the FAA to require jump operators to institute periodic flight checks to determine pilot competence, and to develop pilot training programs that address weight-and-balance calculations, preflight inspections and emergency and jump procedures for each type of aircraft flown. The NTSB also says that the FAA should be conducting, at a minimum, periodic on-site inspections of maintenance and operations. It noted that the FAA advisory circular “Sport Parachute Jumping” was published in 1991, and hasn’t been updated since.
In its review of the 32 accidents since 1980, the NTSB found that eight of the airplanes weren’t airworthy at the time they were dispatched. In nearly all of the accidents, the pilots held commercial or ATP certificates, yet didn’t perform adequate preflight inspections, do proper weight-and-balance calculations, maintain airspeed or properly execute emergency procedures—a fact the NTSB characterized as a “disturbing common denominator.” Twelve of the airplanes were loaded beyond their max allowable gross weights; nine of those were loaded outside of center-of-gravity limits. Twelve accidents involved loss of engine power, and nearly all of the pilots allowed the plane to stall.
On September 10, 1995, a Beech 65 crashed into a house about 2.5 miles from the municipal airport in West Point, Va. The ATP-rated pilot, 10 parachutists and a resident of the house were killed. The accident occurred in day VFR conditions.

Witnesses heard unusual engine sounds during takeoff. One person heard the engine stop for about four seconds, then regain power during takeoff. Black smoke trailed the airplane, and the witness saw it enter a shallow right turn that gradually increased to 70 to 80 degrees. The airplane then rolled into a left bank with a nose-down attitude of 45 degrees.

Investigators found that in 1975, the airplane crashed in Minnesota and was reported as destroyed; it was sold for salvage for $1 in June 1976. In November 1976, the airplane was again registered with the FAA. In 1995, the airplane was sold to the skydiving club that owned it at the time of the accident. Maintenance records didn’t indicate when the cabin seats were removed to accommodate parachutists. An FAA Form 337 had been filed indicating that floor-mounted seat belts were installed in 1990. The aircraft’s weight and balance had been recalculated, and logbook records were updated, but no such figures were found in the logbooks. More modifications were reported in 1995 via FAA 337s, but logbook entries didn’t match what was reported.

The airplane’s aft boarding door had been removed for sport parachute operations. Some Beech 65 airplanes were approved for flight with the cabin door removed, but not this one. The NTSB reported that the operator produced a “Flight Manual Supplement” stating that such door removal was authorized. The NTSB, however, reported that the document had been altered, and there were no records to indicate that the airplane had been flight-tested and authorized for flight with the door removed.

Teardown examination of the engines and propellers failed to find preexisting conditions that may have led to the accident. The airplane was found to have been about 170 pounds over gross weight, with the center of gravity about three inches aft of the limit. The NTSB’s report quoted from the FAA’s Flight Training Handbook: “Generally speaking, an airplane becomes less controllable, especially at slow flight speeds, as the center of gravity is moved aft. An airplane that cleanly recovers from a prolonged spin with the center of gravity at one position may fail completely to respond to normal recovery attempts when the center of gravity is moved aft by one or two inches.”

The probable cause of this accident was determined to be the pilot’s inadequate preflight/preparation, his failure to ensure proper weight and balance of the airplane, and his failure to obtain/maintain minimum control speed, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control after a loss of power in the right engine. The reason for the loss of power couldn’t be determined.

On June 21, 2003, a Cessna 182H was conducting an airdrop of parachutists near Cushing, Okla. A commercial pilot and five skydivers were on board, and day VFR conditions prevailed. Witnesses saw the airplane take off, circle while climbing to altitude and fly over the landing area, at which point the first parachutist jumped. The plane then made a left turn and “seemed to hang in the air,” according to a witness. The nose dropped, and the airplane started down. Two more parachutists then jumped out. When the airplane was about 300 to 400 feet AGL, a witness heard the engine power increase, but saw the airplane continue in a spin until impact. The pilot was fatally injured, two parachutists received serious injuries, two received minor injuries and one escaped injury.

Marks made in the ground and wreckage indicated that the airplane impacted in a flat attitude. There was no evidence of preimpact problems in the engine. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.

Peter Katz is editor and publisher of NTSB Reporter, an independent monthly update on aircraft accident investigations and other NTSB news. To subscribe, write to: NTSB Reporter, Subscription Dept., P.O. Box 831, White Plains, NY 10602-0831."

September 8, 2005:

"All fair questions, Derek. Here are the responses:

1. How does this affect non-USPA Group Member drop zones?
USPA can’t compel participation by non-GM DZs, but they may want to use the guidance to ensure they comply with the regs.

2. What happens if the drop zone does not return the Aircraft Status Form?
Renewal of the Group Membership requires completed, returned forms.

3. If the drop zone does return the form, will it be verified for accuracy?
USPA will ensure that the form is accurately completed, e.g. that a Twin Otter operator doesn’t indicate that it is on annual/100-hour inspections, that an operator lists the FSDO its program has been filed with, that all “last” and “next” inspection blocks are completed, and the certifying IA or repair station is listed.

4. If yes, how?
USPA isn’t the FAA; we won’t be conducting surprise inspections or demanding logbooks. Though, as the result of a recent NTSB recommendations, the FAA might.

5. What will be done with the information on the Aircraft Status Form?
We’ll note that the DZ provided the information for the aircraft they list.

6. Will USPA maintain a database that USPA Members can check to see what a drop zone is reporting?
No. But a skydiver has always had the right to ask a DZO about their maintenance.

7. Will a drop zone’s Group Membership not be renewed or revoked for failure to submit or falsifying the Aircraft Status Form?
Completed forms are required for Group Membership. USPA’s by-laws already allow for sanctions on any member who intentionally falsifies a USPA form.

8. If there is a lawsuit resulting from a jump plane incident, will the Aircraft Status Forms be made available to either party involved in the lawsuit?
The form will be discarded after being received and checked for accuracy.

9. If the last addition to the Group Member Pledge, separating landing areas by either distance or time was a dismal failure with many DZ’s failing to separate landing areas, how will this be any different?
We don’t agree that BSR has failed. Many DZs have chosen to separate landings by time, if not distance. Canopy collision fatalities are not only down in number, they are substantially down as a percentage of all fatalities; they were 30% of the total in 2007, 13% of the total in 2008, and so far are 8% of the total in 2009.

The program may not be perfect, but it will clarify what the regulations require and it will urge the operators to make sure they comply. And it will accomplish this without heavy-handed government action.

Ed Scott "

GROUP MEMBER PLEDGE

As a person with operational control, I pledge to:
• Comply with the USPA Basic Safety Requirements (BSRs), which include compliance with the Federal Aviation Regulations relevant to skydiving operations, including aircraft operations.
• Ensure that all pilots employed or utilized for the purpose of parachute operations hold at least a commercial pilot certificate and a second-class medical certificate.
• Ensure that all aircraft utilized for the purpose of parachute operations comply with commercial maintenance requirements described in FAR Part 91.409(a) through (f) as applicable.
• Ensure skydiving staff of the Group Member are appropriately qualified and trained in accordance with the SIM and (where applicable) hold current USPA ratings commensurate with their duties.
• Establish landing procedures that will include separation of high-speed and normal landings.These landing procedures must be prominently displayed and communicated to all jumpers at the drop zone.
• Support USPA promotional programs at the drop zone.
• Require introductory or regular individual USPA membership of:
1. all licensed U.S. skydivers (a skydiver is considered a student until licensed)
2. non-resident foreign nationals who do not have proof of membership in their national aeroclub.
• Include USPA and manufacturers, distributors and dealers of skydive equipment in the Group Member hold-harmless release, consistent with state laws. (New applicants, please provide a copy of the waiver with this application.)

Derek V

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