12 Deaths in one Month?

[pccoder 0]

What is going on this past August? That seems like an aweful large number. I am still a newbie, but have we had such large numbers the past few years in one month?

Is it time to stop and do a mandatory national safety day at all USPA dropzones?

PcCoder.net

[Reginald 0]

Quote

Is it time to stop and do a mandatory national safety day at all USPA dropzones?

Will, this stop people from doing low hook turns without the proper skills?
Will this stop people from doing dumb stuff like landing a Mr. Bill?
Will this stop people from jumping intoxicated?

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

[mattjw916 2]

you can't "teach" common sense... some people just lack it in sufficient quantities, period

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[hookitt 0]

After reading your posts, list the deaths. I'll put them in a category.

[kelpdiver 2]

A very bad August came after what looks like a pretty good year from historical perspective. There does appear to be a summer concentration which wouldn't be too surprising.

In hazardous sports, it's my belief that you get these sorts of spikes because people respond to reading incident reports and change their behavior...for a while. And then start becoming a bit more casual about it. It's not a huge difference, but enough of a shift that you suddenly see a burst again.

[Frenchy68 0]

What is going on this past August***
Pure speculation, as I do not have the data from previous years. But August may be the peak of skydiving season (except for the Southwest), all dropzones cranking... But what do I know.

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[jeffallen 0]

Although the equipment we use keeps getting safer and more reliable, it is the people that are using it that keep pushing the limits and hurting or killing themselves. I have not saw the list but I would bet most of the injuries are under good canopies, due to low turns(hookturns). You can not stop people from pushing it past their limits. I'm sure some would be considered accidents, but a lot of them could be avoided. This is a unforgiving sport, be careful! Just my opinion, Jeff

[CornishChris 5]

How many people died landing a Mr Bill?

CJP

Gods don't kill people. People with Gods kill people

[mjosparky 3]

Fatalities for the month of August, world wide:

2004, August 11, year total 43
2003, August 8, year total 66
2002, August 6, year total 57
2001, August 11, year total 78 (bad year)
2000, August 7, year total 55
1999, August 5, year total 60
1998, August 6, year total 43
1997, August 6, year total 60

Sparky

Source

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Frenchy68 0]

The totals you are reflecting for each "August" exceed the total for the year...??? Am I missing someting?

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[AggieDave 6]

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Am I missing someting?

Yup. The number after "August" is the number of fatalities for the month, the number at the end is the number of fatalities total for the entire year.

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

[Frenchy68 0]

Yup. The number after "August" is the number of fatalities for the month, the number at the end is the number of fatalities total for the entire yea***
Oooops (gently pushing the glass of absinthe away...!). Then, with the exception of 1999, am I on to something???

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[mnealtx 0]

I think you're mis-reading....

I interpreted it as:
Aug 2004, 11 fatalities, total for year 43

And so forth...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Eiley 0]

Quote

Quote

Is it time to stop and do a mandatory national safety day at all USPA dropzones?

Will this stop people from doing dumb stuff like landing a Mr. Bill?

How did the Mr Bill landing contribute to the fatality statistics?

nothing to see here

[Liemberg 0]

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How did the Mr Bill landing contribute to the fatality statistics?

safety culture!

Though I wouldn't know if landing a Mr. Bill would fall into "unknown/undiscovered issues" or "known issues ignored" I most certainly feel that it has its place somewhere in the pyramid...

(BTW: this pyramid Tombuch talks about is pretty much standard stuff among safety theoretics.)

"Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but memory." - Leonardo da Vinci
A thousand words...

[pccoder 0]

Quote

Fatalities for the month of August, world wide:

2004, August 11, year total 43
2003, August 8, year total 66
2002, August 6, year total 57
2001, August 11, year total 78 (bad year)
2000, August 7, year total 55
1999, August 5, year total 60
1998, August 6, year total 43
1997, August 6, year total 60

Sparky

Source

wow, i didn't realize we have had more deaths in August this year than any other year all the way back to 1997? considering how much the equipment has improved over that time period and how the number of jumps has remained relatively constant?? (not sure about that), it seems to me that safety was not an issue in many minds this summer.

PcCoder.net

[tombuch 0]

Quote

Quote

Fatalities for the month of August, world wide:

2004, August 11, year total 43
2003, August 8, year total 66
2002, August 6, year total 57
2001, August 11, year total 78 (bad year)
2000, August 7, year total 55
1999, August 5, year total 60
1998, August 6, year total 43
1997, August 6, year total 60

Sparky

Source

wow, i didn't realize we have had more deaths in August this year than any other year all the way back to 1997? considering how much the equipment has improved over that time period and how the number of jumps has remained relatively constant?? (not sure about that), it seems to me that safety was not an issue in many minds this summer.

I don't know where the above numbers come from, but suspect they are based on Internet reporting. If that is the case, the increase may be a reflection of greater access and use of the technology, rather than an actual increase in fatalities.

I just checked the official IPC year 2000 Safety Survey (produced by the International Parachuting Commission/FAI) and page 5 shows the following international fatalities:

1990 70
1991 74
1992 59
1993 101
1994 70
1995 64
1996 76
1997 78
1998 72
1999 60
2000 63

The IPC/FAI numbers and the numbers quoted in the original DZ.com post do not agree in the overlap years. Global numbers are tough to come by and will always be suspect due to different reporting standards, but FAI reports should be given at least some credibility. My preference is to discount the original numbers in this thread unless a specific and reliable source is identified.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[skymama 35]

From the dz.com database:



2004-08-18 Malaysia Reserve Problems Impact under malfunctioning reserve parachute
2004-08-12 Indonesia Malfunction Impact after malfunction
2004-08-22 France Other Hard landing, No flare
2004-08-19 France Landing Hard landing while making a low turn
2004-08-15 Spain Other Impact after failing to deploy a parachute
2004-08-15 France Collision Collision with jumper in freefall during opening
2004-08-10 United States Malfunction Impact under malfunctioning Tandem - Passenger
2004-08-10 United States Malfunction Impact under mulfunctioning Tandem
2004-08-21 United States Landing Hard landing while making a low turn
2004-08-22 United States Collision Cause of death unknown
2004-08-09 United States Landing Hard landing after toggle drop

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[GravityGirl 0]

Boogie Season.

People jumping in unfamiliar places.
People partying too much.
People jumping unfamiliar gear.
People showing off for the bigger crowds.

It's no different this year than any other.

Watch out for the begining of Spring as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[genoyamamoto 0]

Taking mjosparky's numbers for previous years, and assuming a 8-month World average skydiving season (is this ok?):

Year: August: Worldwide: Avg/month:
2003: 8: 66: 8.25
2002: 6: 57: 7.125
2001: 11: 78: 9.75
2000: 7: 55: 6.875
1999: 5: 60: 7.5
1998: 6: 43: 5.375
1997: 6: 60: 7.5


Totals: 49: 419: 52.375:


The statistics are small, but August seems like any other skydiving month of the year.

Gotta go... plaything needs to spank me
Feel the hate...
Photos here

[chopchop 0]

nerd..

chopchop
gotta go... Plaything needs a spanking..

Lotsa Pictures

[AndyMan 7]

I suspect that the large numbers for August are statistical anomalies, and in themselves mean nothing. June and July had surprisingly few incidents, making this year overall consistent with last year, and the general trend over the last few years.

There may be some people who saw the relatively low number of incidents in the spring and early summer, and started taking more risks thinking the sport suddenly got safer. I'm skeptical though, and this theory is certainly impossible to either prove or disprove.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[kelpdiver 2]

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Taking mjosparky's numbers for previous years, and assuming a 8-month World average skydiving season (is this ok?):

It makes your argument work, but it's quite an assumption. Quite a few of the big DZs operate year round and most of the ones in CA have tried to convince me that winter is a bigger season than summer for the fun jumpers, with the higher winds and temperatures taken away.

Disgarding my earlier theory about lulls and spikes, for those with a seasonal aspect August would be well into the season and everyone would have a few months of good times logged. That could also lead to jumpers rasing the risk threshhold a bit. In September a lot of them go back to school.

[PhreeZone 15]

On this note... 15 years ago most people only knew about a fatality if it hit Parachutist or Skydiving. 10 years ago rec.skydiving would pick up a few more. 5 years ago DZ.com picked up a few more. A year ago or so the Incidents fourm was rolled out and provided a more public area to report on issues. There are more people reading the fourms which means more eyes to scout new articles and more people at DZ's to report fatalities.

The numbers have always been high, its just that only seeing those that happened locally to you tended to limit your view of the situation.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[bob.dino 0]

Australia operates year-round. I'd be surprised if California and Florida didn't operate pretty much all the time too.

I wouldn't be particularly comfortable with any international numbers. I'd take USPA + BPA + APF + whomever else has a defined and reliable reporting system, and use those. The numbers are small enough that +/- one fatality is >5% change...