FAA Decision

[Safteyjest 0]

Anyone know what happened? Now I need to rush and get my rig re-packed!!


In a meeting with the FAA Monday afternoon, it was decided any skydiving rig with reserve repack by John Lindstrom to be un-jumpable. Please be prepared to show your pack data card and reserve seal before your next jump.

Official documentation from the FAA should follow in the next couple of days.

[stratostar 5]

you care to give a tad more info as to what your talking about.

~

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[Safteyjest 0]

This is the e-mail I recieved and I would like some more information myself....


In a meeting with the FAA Monday afternoon, it was decided any skydiving rig with reserve repack by John Lindstrom to be un-jumpable. Please be prepared to show your pack data card and reserve seal before your next jump.

Mary ?Mur? Goetsch and John Waldeck will try their best to get you repacked by the weekend if you need it. Normal fees apply. First come first serve.

Official documentation from the FAA should follow in the next couple of days.

Respectfully,

Tim ?Hoochie? Hajewski
Sky Knights SPC

(edited to remove personal info)

Edited by slotperfect to remove phone numbers - I must assume those are personal and not business numbers. Please don't phone anyone's personal number except your own - and I recommend against that as well for safety reasons. Thanks.

[MikeD10834 0]

An email was distributed today (presumably to those on the clubs email distribution list) notifying us that pursuant to an FAA decision, all rigs packed by John Lindstrum are to be considered un-jumpable (effectively grounding the rig). An "official" update should be distributed within a couple of days.
I certainly don't want to see this thread degenerate into speculation, let's wait until we get the facts. Hopefully, the original sender of the email (or a club member with facts) will keep us promptly updated. This being said, I strongly urge anyone who even MAY have had their rigs packed by him to check and be sure.
Speculation aside, and not meaning to fan the flames or anything, and with first hand knowledge... your life (or friends life) depends on it. Double check! I believe his seal is "TZA" (please someone correct me if I'm wrong).
This whole situation, of which I find myself entangled, has me wondering... Does anyone know how to research the qualifications, record, any official complaints, kudo's, saves, number of repacks, type of ratings, etc. of a rigger? Does anyone know of a way to get any background knowledge of a rigger, without going by a recommendation(s) of jumpers (which is usually what I do until I get to know the person)?
Until later...

[wildman2231 0]

How the hell could anyone take seriously something like this posted by someone named safteyjest
Do I hope I'm right or wrong?

I'm fine...crazy people don't know they're crazy...No,Really!

[bigway 4]

how could you afford not to take it serious?

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[grue 1]

So who is this fellow, and why is this happening?

cavete terrae.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

Does anyone know how to research the qualifications, record, any official complaints, kudo's, saves, number of repacks, type of ratings, etc. of a rigger?

The fact that a reserve did work doesn't mean that the rigging was correct.

For example, mini-links on a reserve seem to work fine for sub-terminal deployments following a cutaway but might not be too good for a head-down CYPRES fire.

[wildman2231 0]

***I hope/and hope not/ I'm a newb here-the site and skydiving world.Some people joke around-safetyjest
I hope all of you dont take offense. Just the name threw me...SAFETY is my #1. No offense intended,
But posted name ,I dont know you. I could only
hope you were joking

I'm fine...crazy people don't know they're crazy...No,Really!

[wildman2231 0]

And your serious profile! WOW. coulda took a minute
to whip sumthin up....saftey

I'm fine...crazy people don't know they're crazy...No,Really!

[bigway 4]

I see what you are saying. The thing is, he could be trying to ruin someone or perhaps he is keeping anonymous as he is discussing something big that he thinks people should know without putting his name to it. Fair enough i reckon. Easy enough to check it out though.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[MrBrant 0]

Quote

Edited by slotperfect to remove phone numbers
Please don't phone anyone's personal number except your own - and I recommend against that as well

[wildman2231 0]

Yea, I understand that...even with my big ol' 4 jumps,hopefully 2 or 3 tomorrow. But thats to be wary of all forum posts. At 42 I've done insane speed
rappels inverted from 150' feet.No belay and actually
gave the rock I stopped at a gentle kiss. 16 times in 1 day! Hope I'm getting smarter skydiving!***

I'm fine...crazy people don't know they're crazy...No,Really!

[divnswoop 0]

Can anybody verify that it is definitely this rigger and seal TZA?

[mjosparky 4]

Quote

Can anybody verify that it is definitely this rigger and seal TZA?

John LLoyd Lindstrom

Senior Parachute Rigger
Back
Issued 03/29/2003 TZA

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Can anyone tell us what this is all about??


.

[slotperfect 7]

Folks,

We need some factual details here. Best for everyone would be a link to the FAA's official communication on the subject.

Obviously there is not enough information in the original post or any of the replies to be completely useful. Raising potentially serious safety issues with reference to a specific person by name without the facts to support it is not forwarding to any of us here beyond wanting to know "the scoop."

Please handle any information you post with discretion. Thanks.

Arrive Safely

John

[ladyskydiver 0]

Sorry, Spence, we have no further info at this time. The people that were sent the email have only the above information.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[tombuch 0]

I can't seem to figure out which DZ this involves, but from the profiles of the people posting, it looks like it's in Illinois.

If you received the email and wonder if it is legit, you could call the rigger directly. If that doesn't work, another alternative is to contact the local FAA GADO/FSDO. For the phone number, check http://faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/. Tomorrow is a weekday so they should be open, and it should be easy to confirm the nature of the problem pretty quickly. It's unlikely there will be any concrete information here until somebody has a chance to reach the rigger or the FAA in the morning.

In the meantime, relax...
.

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

[stratostar 5]

Quote

We need some factual details here.***
&

Raising potentially serious safety issues with reference to a specific person by name without the facts to support it

Quote

Exactly!

To MikeD10834
*** your life (or friends life) depends on it.

This is why I asked for a tad bit more info, you never know all the sig's/seal on a data card that may come thru the loft your working in.

To Tombuch

Quote

it looks like it's in Illinois

It is in Wisconsin.

Quote

It's unlikely there will be any concrete information here until somebody has a chance to reach the rigger or the FAA in the morning.

You are correct, this shouldn't have been posted in the way it was with out some real information from the FAA or unless it was posted by the DZO of sky knights as a PSA.

Safteyjest,FYI- the above should be something for you to keep in mind when posting someones name, while I understand why you may have done so, you need to be able to back it up with solid proof or word it better if you don't have the proof.
I don't think it was the intent of the e-mail for you to post it, but that is between you and the sender.

~

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[JerryBaumchen 1,304]

Like most of you, I have no idea what this is about.
About 10-12 yrs ago the FAA did an emergency revocation of a local rigger's license. They did NOT put out anything on any of his repacks being illegal or whatever.

Just some info on what happened in this area (Oregon).

Jerry

[MikeD10834 0]

Folks,
Loads of new info, not sure where to begin... Let me preface this by saying that my primary concern is safety of my fellow jumpers. Thankfully, were in a largely self-policing sport and in this case the appropriate action is being taken before a fatality resulted (of which I could have been). I don't know John Lindstom personally, nor do I have any ill will towards any party involved.

I've spoken to the originator of the email, the rigger spear heading the investigation, John Lindstrom, and the FAA investigators today on the phone. According to the FAA, a statement is being pushed through their legal department and will be distributed as quickly as possible. I'm not sure what I can/should post, but for clarity sake, here's what I know.

John Lindstrum was busted for pencil packing reserves. How I'm involved, and the reason I'm speaking up, is that he also assembled my new rig and misrouted the reserve ripcord so that a reserve total "could" have resulted (Wings container/PD reserve; ripcord routed under top reserve flap, around and over said flap (forming a loop) to close the container).

According to Denis Grimsly (sp?), lead FAA investigator, I'm not alone in that other rigs 'may have had reserve deployment problems'. This is why I'm speaking up, there may be others out there with suspect rigs, and are unaware of all the facts.

I will post additional information as I get it or answer any questions that I can. PM me if you like.


MikeD10834

[Safteyjest 0]

I have the story now,,, It seems John was caught putting his seal on a rig that he says he repacked but did not. This rig had been staged with a string inside, John was called to the FAA building in Milwaukee. THe FAA opened the rig with his seal on it and found the string. If John had re-packed it like he said the string would have been gone.

This is the same person in the past that got caught forging his tamden rating and his IE rating last year.

As far as my screen name goes it is a joke,,, I take this sport very serioulsly!!! I am all about safety....

[JohnRich 4]

Quote

...was caught putting his seal on a rig that he says he repacked but did not. This rig had been staged with a string inside, John was called to the FAA building in Milwaukee. THe FAA opened the rig with his seal on it and found the string. If John had re-packed it like he said the string would have been gone.

This is the same person in the past that got caught forging his tamden rating and his IE rating last year.

Has USPA revoked his membership, or moving to do so?

[billvon 2,772]

>Has USPA revoked his membership, or moving to do so?

I'm not sure that makes any sense. Would USPA revoke the membership of a private pilot who flew through a DZ and came very close to some jumpers? (assuming he was a USPA member of course.)