Narrative:

A mr X boarded my aircraft, with 3 other individuals known to me, to make an intentional parachute jump from 10500 ft MSL. Mr X exited the aircraft with another individual and for unknown causes failed to activate either of his parachutes. He died at the scene. Preliminary investigation revealed the reserve parachute to be out- of-date by 3 weeks, based on the 120 day repack cycle. The parachute system was owned by the parachute company and I recognized it as such as the deceased boarded the aircraft. I do not recall verifying recently that the rig in question was in date. It is normally verified by the system we set up to monitor these things here at the drop zone. Our system was supposed to guarantee that no rig got on the aircraft without an in-date reserve. It failed us today! My opinion as a jump pilot and former parachute instructor and current CFI is that mr X failed and is directly responsible for his fate. There is no excuse for failing to pull. This accident was contributed to by a rush to get to the aircraft by the jumpers, the jumper was uncurrent and boarded the aircraft on the runway where most of my attention was on the aircraft and the airport environment. The out-of-date reserve was not a factor in this fatality. An in-date reserve, if not activated, would not have saved his life. Possible corrective actions: 1) require recurrency training of skydivers. 2) make packing data cards more accessible to the PIC. 3) keep all gear locked up. (Mr X used the rig without our knowledge.) with all due respect to the deceased, jump pilots need to cover their bases because fatalities in this sport are unavoidable. It only takes one violation to ruin a promising career.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT REGARDING A SKYDIVER WHO JUMPED WITHOUT OPENING HIS CHUTE OR THE RESERVE CHUTE. THE RESERVE CHUTE WAS OUT OF DATE ON REPACKING. THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FATAL END OF THAT JUMP HOWEVER.

Narrative: A MR X BOARDED MY ACFT, WITH 3 OTHER INDIVIDUALS KNOWN TO ME, TO MAKE AN INTENTIONAL PARACHUTE JUMP FROM 10500 FT MSL. MR X EXITED THE ACFT WITH ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL AND FOR UNKNOWN CAUSES FAILED TO ACTIVATE EITHER OF HIS PARACHUTES. HE DIED AT THE SCENE. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE RESERVE PARACHUTE TO BE OUT- OF-DATE BY 3 WKS, BASED ON THE 120 DAY REPACK CYCLE. THE PARACHUTE SYS WAS OWNED BY THE PARACHUTE COMPANY AND I RECOGNIZED IT AS SUCH AS THE DECEASED BOARDED THE ACFT. I DO NOT RECALL VERIFYING RECENTLY THAT THE RIG IN QUESTION WAS IN DATE. IT IS NORMALLY VERIFIED BY THE SYS WE SET UP TO MONITOR THESE THINGS HERE AT THE DROP ZONE. OUR SYS WAS SUPPOSED TO GUARANTEE THAT NO RIG GOT ON THE ACFT WITHOUT AN IN-DATE RESERVE. IT FAILED US TODAY! MY OPINION AS A JUMP PLT AND FORMER PARACHUTE INSTRUCTOR AND CURRENT CFI IS THAT MR X FAILED AND IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS FATE. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO PULL. THIS ACCIDENT WAS CONTRIBUTED TO BY A RUSH TO GET TO THE ACFT BY THE JUMPERS, THE JUMPER WAS UNCURRENT AND BOARDED THE ACFT ON THE RWY WHERE MOST OF MY ATTN WAS ON THE ACFT AND THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT. THE OUT-OF-DATE RESERVE WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS FATALITY. AN IN-DATE RESERVE, IF NOT ACTIVATED, WOULD NOT HAVE SAVED HIS LIFE. POSSIBLE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) REQUIRE RECURRENCY TRAINING OF SKYDIVERS. 2) MAKE PACKING DATA CARDS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PIC. 3) KEEP ALL GEAR LOCKED UP. (MR X USED THE RIG WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE.) WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE DECEASED, JUMP PLTS NEED TO COVER THEIR BASES BECAUSE FATALITIES IN THIS SPORT ARE UNAVOIDABLE. IT ONLY TAKES ONE VIOLATION TO RUIN A PROMISING CAREER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.