Is there an increase in tandem incidents?

[steveorino 7]

You know how when you buy a new car you think is unique, then after you buy it you see them everywhere, is that what is going on with tandem accidents?

I became a tandem master last summer and I don't remember reading very many tandem incidents. Now it seems there is a plethora of them. Is something up or is it me just simply being more aware of them when I see them?

steveOrino

[normiss 622]

I've been wondering the exact same thing since picking up my rating four months ago...
I'm hoping we're just more aware of them as I never paid attention until I started thinking about the rating.

[OnYourBack 0]

I don't think its the new car syndrome. I almost posted this same thread yesterday when I realized that 5 of the top 9 incident threads were tandem.

[BIGUN 1,053]

I think there's three factors, Steve. One is that you're more attuned to searching out tandem-related incidents since becoming a TI in order to learn from them, 2) tandem-related incidents are being reported more from a world-wide audience on this medium, rather than the previous "just U.S." focus, and 3) an increased amount of reporting of any type of incident (including the twisted ankles) that previously wasn't since its easier to just log on and report.

Since tandems are becoming an ever increasing method of introduction to the sport; it would be interesting to know if we could capture the number of tandems and incidents from ten years ago and measure that against the increased number of tandems and incidents today to determine if the ratio of % of incidents to # of tandems has increased or decreased. My _guess_ is we would find the number of tandem incidents per number of tandem jumps is actually lower today.

I know you're kind of locked up with students at the DZ, but if you can get the chance, you should visit someplace like SDD or Spaceland on a non-boogie weekend and see how many tandems are done on any given weekend. It's really something to see Otter load after Otter load of 5-10 tandems all day long Friday through Sunday (at least 150 tandems on a weekend) without incident.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[steveorino 7]

I did a brief look at our incident forums for "tandem" incidents with injuries or fatalities. If the thread didn't say "tandem" I didn't make note of it. A cursory examination lets me believe it is that I'm more aware rather than more of them.

2003 - 5
2004 - 2
2005 - 4
2006 - 7
2007 - 4

Again, this is a cursory review of threads that had "tandem" in the thread title. I guess I'm just more aware now.

steveOrino

[toronto_bill 0]

In 2 years since I started, there have been 2 people fall out of harness' Can this be explained away by increased numbers? Add a few double mals, collisions, and whew. Lots to read.
I don't think your perception is playing games with you.

Bill

[OnYourBack 0]

Quote

2007 - 4

I have 6 for 2007 in a month and a half. May just be an anomally but worth noting I think. There are also 8 months left this year.

March 12 Missouri
March 25 Gold Coast
April 7 Nambia
April 7 Gold Coast
April 22 Ireland
April 29 Taft

[BlueSBDeath 2]

Steve, I also think that there is an increase due to the number of TMasters, it is early in the season and some are just getting recurrent, and our reporting of incidents is also getting better.

I consider it the nature of the beast, as more swoopers swoop, more will also get hurt.

Just MHO.

Stay safe,

Arvel

BSBD...........Its all about Respect,

USPA#-7062, FB-2197, Outlaw 499

[Tonto 1]

As a moderator in the incidents forum I've tried to standardise the titles of the posts to make searches like this easier. Before I started, around October 2004, it was a bit like any other forum.

I know for a fact that the numbers you've posted are conservative.
Remember also that most minor injuries, like broken legs etc, are usually moved to S & T. The Incidents forum is way, way more "serious" than it used to be a few years back, and the reasoning for that is to stop us drowning in "everyday" stuff and missing the big lessons in the process.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[steveorino 7]

Yeah, I know. I didn't count incidents where there were no injuries, or they were very minor. For that matter, if they didn't say "tandem" in the thread I didn't find count them either. No way I was looking though every thread that said "skydiver injured", or "accident at yada yad yada "

steveOrino

[rhys 0]

From my end it seems BIGUN is on the money.

Throw in a significant increase in tandem numbers and a decline in sport jumpers and then the stats change again.

My last full year at a busy DZ in NZ 2-3 years ago the busiest day/capacity at the DZ was 140 customers my busiest day was 18 jumps and I did 1100 jumps as a camera guy.

over the last year the a friends has done at the same DZ over 20 jumps in a day and around 1800 jumps for the year and the DZ's busiest day/capacity is over 200 tandems.

I work at a brand new Tandem DZ in africa and we are starting to get busy now tandems, tandems,tandems.

More and more people use these forums also so more incidents are getting reported. I'm sure there are plenty of really 'full on' incidents that would have happened in the past but were only noted by the local area emergency services. these days such things are well reported.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix