artb@hplsla.HP.COM (Art Bori) (04/25/91)
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The following article is reprinted with permission from _The
Chuting Star_, a skydiving newspaper printed for Southeastern
skydivers. We've all heard bits and pieces about the fatality
that marred the 160-way attempts and hopefully this article
clears up some of the misunderstandings and rumors. Although few
of us will ever get the opportunity to participate in such a
large formation, the author brings out some very important points
that all of us can learn from. _The Cuting Star_ is published by
Chuting Star Publications, Inc. If you would like to subscribe
call (904) 282-2353 or 1-800-255-2031. I am in no way affiliated
with or a representative of _The Chuting Star_.
Blue Skies,
Art Bori
D-11402
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S.E. Conf. Dir. Comments on Happenings at 160-way
By Banks Brazell
I have just returned from the 160 way attempts in Deland,
Florida. On the dive that was positively yielding the new record, and
had in fact did yield the largest freefall formation ever built, a
jumper died. As Conference Director and Chief S&TA, I felt it was my
place to land out with him and stay until the authorities arrived and
relieved me.
This jumper had made it through all of the video reviews without
drawing attention. That means he was handling the dives by doing his
job. He was apparently performing well enough to not overly concern
those around him in the dive.
But for the last couple of days before his death, and the day of
his death, he was experiencing nose bleeds on the ride to altitude. We
were using supplemental oxygen and jumping from 16,500 and he was
riding up in a DC-3. He had been tying a bandana over his nose to keep
blood and mucus from blowing into his goggles. On the fateful jump his
goggles had a film of dried blood on them.
Video reviews show that he was concious above the formation, and
that he wound up in the burble some 40-50 feet above the formation. He
came into the frame in a sort of reversed arch mushed position, and as
he realized he was in bad air he tried to do a hard left dodging swoop
off the top. He was in a mostly head-down attitude as he got to the
level of the formation and struck another jumper a glancing blow with
his head and shoulder. At this point he was either unconscious or dead
and assumed a head down, back-to-earth dive as he came through the
formation.
Four jumpers immediately gave chase, but they were unable to get
grips on him due to the sheer speed of the dive. Two jumpers opened a
little below 2000' while the other two opened at or below 1000'.
My points are these:
This jumper was jumping within his limits as long as everything
was controlled. But as soon as his vision was impaired by blood on his
goggles, the stage became set for tragedy. His options and abilities
began closing down.
As jumpers, we have grown up both telling other jumpers "we can
handle it" or letting them tell us they can "handle it" when questions
arise about our abilities or conditions on a given dive. Skydiving, is
in the final analysis, a dangerous solo sport. As individuals, we have
to pull for ourselves each dive. If you don't pull you will likely
die.
But, now that we are jumping gear that is very reliable and easy
to use, have emergency procedures that are easily done, and engineer
skydives based on two decades of experience on increasingly more
productive sequential or static dives, we have perhaps reached a new
level of complacency based upon a trust in all of these and other
related factors.
However, I submit that the bottom line has really never changed.
Gravity works. You must land with an open parachute over your head. If
you are consistently smart, you will start opening the first one in
time to land with the second one open if you needed it.
At our DZ, like others, rule number one is "Know yourself." We
tell our students this means it is okay to be scared or feel a little
anxiety. But "know yourself" also means that maybe you don't skydive
when you have a cold, or are bone-tired, or hung-over, or in any
condition or combination of conditions that has the potential to keep
you from performing at the level required by the dive.
Ego is a strong motivator. Along with self- actualization it's at
the top of Mazlow's hierarchy of needs. Big dives require self
confidence and a dose of ego. That drives folks to push the limit and
ignore the warning signals, and it inhibits others from pointing out
that maybe, just maybe, someone is past their limit under the
conditions.
Let us learn from this tragedy that perhaps we need to be more
willing to honestly and compassionately intervene on behalf of a fellow
skydiver who is having problems, who is handling it on this side of the
power curve, but who maybe can't handle it if just one more little
factor changes during the ride up or the dive down. And let us not be
more willing to ground ourselves when things are not 100%.
This individual didn't make the world record dive. Neither did
any of the rest of us who were on that dive. But thankfully we have
the option of trying again. That's a very nice option to protect every
time we are at the drop zone.
Let's be careful out there, and let's all look out for each
other. We don't need to repeat this lesson.