“Leap Frog” parachutist dies
Devtun sends a link to the story of an as-yet-unnamed Navy parachutist on their “Leap Frog” parachute demonstration team who was killed at Fleet Week celebrations yesterday;
The Coast Guard and Jersey City Fire Department Marine Unit retrieved the SEAL, who was taken to Jersey Medical Center and later pronounced dead.
The parachutist could be seen peeling away from the team’s formation and fell out of view of spectators, blocked by some buildings, The New York Times reported.
Photographer Joe Shine told NJ.com that the parachutist, realizing his predicament, appeared to detach the faulty chute so he would land in the river. The chute fell onto a parking lot.
The problem is that everything that the military does can kill you even if there’s no enemy around. It’s the nature of the business.
Category: Navy
Don’t they jump with a reserve parachute?
If they don’t, why don’t they?
Does a reserve parachute interfere with aerobatics?
The problem is that you MUST cut away from your malfunctioning main before deploying your reserve so it doesn’t wrap around your main leaving with nothing to look forward to but learning what a bug goes through when it hits the windshield.
Meanwhile, you’re falling and the clock is ticking …
@ OLD SOLDIER 54:
I’ve had paratroopers and skydivers tell me that they’re supposed to cut away from their main chute before deploying the reserve.
But, I remember seeing a photograph of the paratroopers in Operation Junction City in the old Republic of Viet Nam, where the 173d Airborne Brigade made the only command-sized unit parachute jump in the old Republic of Viet Nam.
In that photograph, you can plainly see one paratrooper, near the ground, with both his main canopy and his reserve parachute deployed at the same time.
His main parachute was properly deployed with the canopy overhead, while the reserve parachute billowed out in front of him.
In the URL provided by SKYJUMPER posted immediately below your comment, the member of the United States Navy “Leap Frogs” parachute demonstration team was injured when he deployed both his main chute and his reserve, which became tangled with each other, but apparently still performed well enough to save his life.
I had a friend, now deceased, who broke both legs when jumping with the 19th Special Forces at Camp Williams, Utah.
As he approached high voltage power lines, he cut away from his main chute, but couldn’t deploy his reserve before hitting the ground.
JRM
Deploying a reserve canopy into a malfunctioning main under “round” military canopies is very forgiving.
With ram-air parachute canopies, as used by the leapfrogs, golden Knights, any “freefall” jump canopy deployment…. it is deadly. Apples and Oranges. With some rare occasions otherwise.
I believe I recall seeing that photo you describe. It’s a crap-shoot deploying your reserve without cutting away from the main first in a military (practice type-not combat) jump. It may or may not become fouled with the main. In a non-combat jump (1500 ft. IIRC) there is a little time to react. In a combat jump, you’re so low to the ground, if your main malfunctions, you’re toast because there is no time. The rules require jumping with a reserve, however.
And OldManchu is right, the high speed, low drag types use VERY different chutes.
I don’t know about now, but for static line jumps, the drop altitude was 1250 feet AGL and for combat jumps and simulated combat jumps 1000′ AGL. Pulling a reserve when you have a Mae West or other partially deployed main is a crapshoot at best. But I have also seen people who managed to land with both canopies deployed, but only with T-10’s or MC1-1’s. Usually, this occurred because the main canopy more fully inflated after the reserve deployed.
JRM, I did a few Google searches to find out my ownself.
According to the attached links, they do use reserves.
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread1172992/pg1
http://www.dropzone.com/news/Safety/Leap_Frog_Recovering_From_Skydiving_Accident_259.html
Civilian war story alert! I served with the 2/325 White Falcons in the 82nd Abn. Div in 1970-71. Seems like we were always jumping. Even on our occasional day off during the weekend. If there was a stick that wasn’t full and they needed jumpers, a number of my buds & I would volunteer. Was tdy out to McChord Air Force base for three months with seven others as “jump dummies” for Air Force Reserve pilots. Jumped almost every day except for weekends, over Yakima. Used the old T-10 back then. Never had an injury or malfunction except for a few blown panels in all of those jumps. Fast forward to late 1990’s. Went to a local Sky Dive place. Had to get five static line jumps in before doing free fall. They had the old T-10’s (risers, not toggles) and Army reserves. Jumped out of small fixed wing Cessna with static line hooks attached to rings in floor of the aircraft. Got up to around 1500-1600 feet or so and first jumper went out. Did a racetrack to get back into position and then I was next. In the meantime, the civilian Jumpmaster pulled in the first jumpers deployment bag. I moved out of the aircraft, feet on peg, hands on strut, released and flared. Seems like it took forever for the main to open; looked up and got smacked in the mouth (lost a tooth) by the static line hook. No main chute deployed, just the static line/hook stretched out and flaying around all over the place. Old 82nd training kicked in instantly. Did a tuck, hand in front of reserve bag, pulled the handle, and tossed the reserve down and to the side. The wind caught it, opened it up beautifully ………and then when I looked up….the main was now open! How, I don’t have a clue, but there I was hanging between two chutes, safe as a baby in both parents loving arms. No control, but who gave two figs. I’m pretty sure that I yelled…hell, SCREAMED something like “FUCKING A”, but not quite sure of… Read more »
Holy Moly I hope that man sent himself to remedial jump master training. Wow removed your static line good grief!
Glad you are here to tell of it!
What OldManchu said!
Yes FAA regulations require that a reserve is worn. It is also part of the single overall rig container with both the main and reserve canopies contained within. It does not interfere with canopy “aerobatics” (called relative work). It is not intrusive at all to comfort or function.
With a main canopy malfunction, the cutaway is performed (actually an ingenious quick release system – no cutting) and then the reserve is deployed. Almost as one motion.
Who knows why he continued to ride the malfunctioning canopy to a low altitude before the cutaway, or why he apparently didn’t deploy his reserve. Almost like it doesn’t make sense. The cutaway system is designed for the “least of us” in the sport civilian skydiving world. And yes, the leapfrog a use the exact same civilian gear found on any given drop zone in the civilian community. So someone with the self awareness and ability to function under pressure such as a navy seal… well it doesn’t make sense.
RIP and thought to his loved ones and fellow service Brothers.
Agreed. I don’t understand either, but it was his call to make.
Yes sir you said it. No doubt it was disorienting.
DM has the ID for the deceased SEAL:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4553580/PICTURED-Navy-SEAL-died-parachute-did-not-open.html
I know that accidents happen, but this is too sad for words.