SFL-2023-013 · Cause: Landing – intentional low turn
Partially verified Facts as reported in the sources below. This is not an official investigation.
Incident
- Date
- 04.04.2023
- Country
- USA
- Drop zone
- Skydive City Zephyrhills
- Place
- Zephyrhills, Florida
- Context
- Sport / fun jump
- Jump type
- Swoop / canopy piloting
- Phase
- Approach & landing
Jumper
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 27
- Total jumps
- 1,300
- Years in sport
- 3
Equipment
- Main canopy
- 96 sq ft
- Wing loading
- 1.80 lb/sq ft
Cause
- Category
- Landing – intentional low turn
What happened
Started a 270° turn at about 850 ft and finished it at about 100 ft heading towards a taxiway, then turned another 60°, flared late and hit the ground at high speed. He was flying a 96 sq ft cross-braced canopy at a wing loading of 1.8.
Lessons for safety
Plan a swoop so that the turn ends with height to spare, over a clear landing area.
Sources
- www.uspa.org Federation, USPA 2023 fatality summary, case #2 (anonymous)
Is something wrong or missing? Send a correction and mention SFL-2023-013.