Reason for skydiving deaths?????

[Jimchamp1 0]

Hi,
My name is Jimmy. Just turned 18 and made my first AFF jump on December 22, 2001. YEP I"M ADDICTED NOW. I am saving for my lisence and gear. I was just wondering, what is the most common reason for deaths that occur in skydiving? Second, once I complete training and get my lisence . . . I have seen several different kinds of exits from the aircraft . . . do you just get to jump however, or well are there certain ways? Lastly, what exactly is "freeflying"? Is that like a weekend jumper and anyone who is not on a team, or just goes solo I guess?
(moderator note - subject changed to make it more clear)

[freeflir29 0]

"I was just wondering, what is the most common reason for deaths that occur in skydiving?"
Check my numbers on USPA.org but I think it's 38% Low turns (hook turns) under perfectly functioning canopy. #1 by far....
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[lazerq3 0]

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I was just wondering, what is the most common reason for deaths that occur in skydiving

I did read that in the yr 2000 70% of the skydiving fatalities were caused by low turns , be Hook or swoop or just not paying attention!!

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I have seen several different kinds of exits from the aircraft . . . do you just get to jump however, or well are there certain ways

IF your jumping by your self you can leave that plane any ol way you want. If your jumping in a formation be ti RW or FF then there are certain ways to exit that make the jump come off better, and you will learn these when you get into it!
And freeflying is flying your bdoy in any postition you want be it head down, sit , stand, I'm sure someone else can explain it better
jason

[AggieDave 6]

FreeFlying is jumping basically in any position besides BTE (Belly To Earth). I'm learning and it's fun, *however* you need to get some BTE RW skills going before you convert to the dark-side. That way you'll have a good foundation of skills to work on. And, when you get asked on a formation load, you won't be totally up a creek.
Talk to your JMs, they'll be more then happy to explain this better and in person.
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.-General George Patton-

[Jimbo 0]

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I think it's 38% Low turns (hook turns) under perfectly functioning canopy

I think this deserves some clarification - not all of the low turn incidents were hook turns. Some were just bad judgment - ie: Jumper turns low to land into the wind. Don't think that you're safe just because you didn't start a turn with a healthy amount of front riser.
-
Jim

[freeflir29 0]

Certainly.....it doesn't take riser input to kill or severely injure you. I saw a 90 degree toggle turn result in two broken Femurs back in Novemeber.
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[Zennie 0]

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FreeFlying is jumping basically in any position besides BTE (Belly To Earth).

Actually, the idea in freefly is to be able to fly in any orientation, including BTE. I just watched the Nationals video this past weekend and the top teams were incorporating belly flying into their routines. Very cool to see.
It's neat to be in the sport at a time of evolution. It's a very exciting time.
"Zero Tolerance: the politically correct term for zero thought, zero common sense."

[AggieDave 6]

I just want to know when PowerDocking is going to be a recognized event at the Nationals?
I didn't realize that BTE could be included with FF, makes since though. Zennie, you and me should go out and do a sort of hybrid. You can sit and I"ll go BTE, then I'll roll to a sit when you go head down, then i'll go to my back and you can go into a sit...well you get the idea. It'd be fun to add BTE to it all.
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.-General George Patton-

[Zennie 0]

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You can sit and I"ll go BTE, then I'll roll to a sit when you go head down, then i'll go to my back and you can go into a sit...

That's exactly the kind of stuff they were doing. Pretty cool to watch.
I've always been hot for doing hybrids but sometimes get a lukewarm response (from both RW & FFers). We'll defintely need to play around with it when you get down again (drop me a line).
I really, *really* want to do a hybrid for my 200th. I think it would be a blast to be able to have fun with both my RW friends and my FF friends that I've made over the past year.
"Zero Tolerance: the politically correct term for zero thought, zero common sense."

[riggerrob 558]

The leading cause of fatalities has always been human error. Sometimes the error is sloppy packing, so that your main parachute does not open. Sometimes the error is sloppy spotting, so you open over a lake. Sometimes the error is sloppy altitude awareness so you don't bother to open your parachute before impact. Sometimes the error is sloppy steering so that you land in a turn.
These days the leading cause of death is low turns. Half the people who hook turn themselves into the graveyard never planned on hook turning, they just found themselves at low altitude without a plan. The cure for surviving hook turns is long term curiousity about every aspect of canopy f;ight.
Until recently, the leading cause of fatalities in USPA's annual summary used to be "low pull/no pull." Mr. Cypres seems to have almost eliminated this category. Just remember that wearing a Cypres does not absolve you of your responsibility to look at your altimeter every few seconds.

[freeflir29 0]

"sloppy altitude awareness so you don't bother to open your parachute before impact."
Well...ya know...that can be such a hassle sometimes....I like hybrids! It allows me to get people that "Aren't quite ready" or worse to be "Free Flying" in a group into a Free Fly dive. They usually love it and keeps them and me safe!!! Everyone has fun which is the point!!!
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay

[MarkM 0]

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I was just wondering, what is the most common reason for deaths that occur in skydiving?

Anyone got the link to the skydiving fatalities page? That's the best resource for this.
IMHO, your risks depend on your skill level. As a new student your biggest risks will be not doing anything in an emergency, delaying your decision making in an emergency, or trying to turn too low to the ground(to face the wind or avoid an obstacle) when you haven't trained to do this.
As you get more skilled, say 100 or 200 jumps(if you stay current), your risks from the above will lessen, but the risks from low turns will increase because you'll be more prone to try hook turns or you might downsize to a smaller canopy. Your confidence will be up, so you may also be more prone to be lax on certain safeties. You also may start pulling a little lower, may start playing with flying a camera, skysurfing, larger formations, etc. All of those things increase risk, which isn't a problem unless you approach them with a 200 jumper "I already know how to do this" attitude.
Seriously though, read the skydiving fatalities page. If no one else posts the link, I'll hunt it up later.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

www.skydivenet.com/fatalities/
read, absorb, stay safe

[mikefarmer 0]

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Actually, the idea in freefly is to be able to fly in any orientation, including BTE.

Well said Zennie!! That's why it's FREE flying. That's what sucks about giving anything a name, even if you name it "FREE," people still want to hang limits on it. DAMMIT, IT'S ALL FUN!!!!!
Mike
Sky World

[matttrudeau 0]

Hi Jimmy, I'll be taking AFF next summer but i've done my homework. Most fatalities are from landings. You get complacent and that's the worst thing in this sport. Many people blame the activities on human error. I guess this is true but don't forget that strange things can happen. We had a person from our home DZ have a bag lock malfunction and when he cut away, the lines wrapped around his camera. Ideally he should have taken his helmet off. But you need to understand that if your traveling at over 100MPH towards the ground with a high speed malfunction, you don't have time to think. I honestly believe that pulling high is one way to keep you safer. Also, never, ever forget that skydiving isn't just falling from the sky. It involves canopy control and landings. Many people over look this and concentrate on there flying skills instead of landing skills. Keep safety your number one priorty and you'll live in this sport.

[MarkM 0]

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We had a person from our home DZ have a bag lock malfunction and when he cut away, the lines wrapped around his camera.

Yeah, but bag a lock probably = packing error. Not saying that shit doesn't just happen sometimes, but I think 95% of the time when something goes wrong there was a human error in the chain of events.

[Aviatrr 0]

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I didn't realize that BTE could be included with FF, makes since though.

Freeflying is flying your body in ANY position, not just head down, sit, etc...

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I just want to know when PowerDocking is going to be a recognized event at the Nationals?

It already is........it's part of 4 way, 8 way, speed star, etc.. Wait a sec....you mean to tell me that not everybody does it?!
Mike