SFL-2022-002 · Cause: Incorrect emergency procedures
Partially verified Facts as reported in the sources below. This is not an official investigation.
Incident
- Date
- 19.02.2022
- Country
- USA
- Drop zone
- Skydive Houston
- Place
- Waller, Texas
- Context
- Work (instructor, staff, demo pro)
- Jump type
- Tandem
- Role
- Tandem instructor
Jumper
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 41
- Ratings
- Tandem instructor
- Years in sport
- 13
Cause
- Category
- Incorrect emergency procedures
- Malfunction
- Bag lock
What happened
Tandem instructor. The drogue was released at about 3,800 ft, below the 5,000 ft minimum, and the main stayed in its bag (high-speed bag lock). The reserve was deployed before cutting away, entangled with the main and only partly inflated. The tandem student survived with serious injuries.
Lessons for safety
With a tandem bag lock, follow the emergency sequence: cut away first, then deploy the reserve. Deploy no lower than the tandem minimum.
Sources
- Official report
- www.uspa.org Federation, USPA 2022 fatality summary, case #14 (anonymous)
Is something wrong or missing? Send a correction and mention SFL-2022-002.