Absturz am Südpol
SkyHobbit
Diese Meldung stand heute in meiner Tageszeitung:
"Sie wollten als erste Abenteurer mit dem Fallschirm über dem Südpol abspringen
und fanden dabei den Tod: Bei drei von sechs Männern der Gruppe öffnete sich am
Sonntag der Schirm nicht, so daß sie bei der Sturzlandung im ewigen Eis ihr
Leben verloren.
Die Fallschirmspringer nahmen an einem Angebot der Firma Adventure Network
International (ANI) teil, die seit 1988 Touristen zum Südpol fliegt oder
Bergtouren organisiert. Das Fallschirmspringen sollte eine Premiere sein. Nach
der Ankunft über dem Pol sprangen die sechs Männer aus dem Flugzeug, wie ein
Sprecher der Antarktis-Forschungsstation mitteilte. Die Leichnahme der dre
tödlich verunglückten wurden nach kurzer Suche von einem Nofallteam der
Südpol-Station geborgen."
Weiß jemand mehr über diesen Unfall ?
Ulf Stolzki
ker...@math.ohio-state.edu
In article <19971208182...@ladder02.news.aol.com>,
skyh...@aol.com (SkyHobbit) wrote:
>
> Diese Meldung stand heute in meiner Tageszeitung:
> "Sie wollten als erste Abenteurer mit dem Fallschirm über dem Südpol
abspringen
> und fanden dabei den Tod: Bei drei von sechs Männern der Gruppe öffnete sich
am
> Sonntag der Schirm nicht, so daß sie bei der Sturzlandung im ewigen Eis ihr
> Leben verloren.
<snip>
> Weiß jemand mehr über diesen Unfall ?
unten angeh"angt ein REUTERS und 3 AP Artikel (in absteigender
Aktualit"at).
Die Umst"ande sind immer noch sehr mysteri"os. Nach den Berichten hatte
sich von sechs Springern bei zweien der Fallschirm "uberhaupt nicht
ge"offnet und bei einem nicht gen"ugend (was immer das auch heissen mag).
Die anderen drei landeten ohne Zwischenf"alle.
Der Sprung wurde aus 2'600 Metern aus einer Twin Otter gemacht. Niemand
scheint verstehen zu k"onnen wie bei einem Sprung gleich drei Leute
scheinbar unabh"angig voneinander t"odlich verungl"ucken konnten.
Spekulationen laufen in richtung Freifall Kollision, Versagen oder
Fehleichung der H"ohenmesser, "Einfrieren" der R"ustzeugs, sind aber im
allgemeinen sehr wirr und ohne viel Fundament.
Bei den Verungl"uckten handelt es sich um Steve Mulholland, 36, von
Seatlle, WA, USA, Ray Miller Jr., 43, von Tiffin, OH, USA, und um
einen nicht weiter identifizierten 49-Jahre alten "Osterreicher.
Bei den drei anderen, die problemlos gelandet waren, handelte es sich
um zwei Norweger, die im Tandem sprangen, und einem weiteren Amerikaner.
Der Sprung wurde von der Kanadischen Firma Adventure Network
International organisiert und sollte der erste privat organizierte
Fallschirm sprung am S'udpol sein.
Falls jemand aus dem "osterreichischen diese newsgroup liest w"are ich
und einige andere hier in Ohio dankbar f"ur die Identit"at des
"Osterreichers. Im letzten Herbst (1996) hatt ich n"amlich hier in
Greene County, Ohio einen "Osterreicher, den ich auch so Mitte Ende 40
sch"atzte getroffen, der hier in Ohio an den POPS (parachutisits over
phorty) Wettbewerb teilnahm. Ich hatte mich mit ihm eine Weile
unterhalten, und er sagte er w"are ein Chemie Professor (aus Graz glaube
ich), der dabei war einen Studien Lehrgang f"ur Umweltwissentschaften an
seiner Uni einzurichten. Er hat auch seinen eigenen Fallschirm Club
gelietet. In der Untehaltung hat er auch davon gesprochen, dass er einen
Sprung am S"udpol plante. Weiss jemand wer das ist und ob er
tats"achslich derjenige ist der bei diesem S"udpolsprung ums Leben
gekommen ist ??
Blue Skies, Thomas
=======================================================================
3 Skydivers Plunge to Death Pver S. Pole
By David Ljunggren
LONDON Dec 7 (Reuters) - Three experienced skydivers on an adventure tour
plunged to their deaths at the South Pole when their parachutes failed
to open, officials said Sunday.
A spokesman for Canadian firm Adventure Network International, which
organized the trip, said the dead parachutists were among a six-man team
which had jumped at around 8,500 feet over the South Pole on Saturday.
"Three landed without problems but unfortunately two of the parachutes
appear not to have deployed at all and one hardly deployed. It's a very
sad situation," Michael McDowell said by telephone.
The tragedy only became clear when the small plane which had dropped the
parachutists landed to pick them up. When just three of the jumpers
appeared, U.S. servicemen from a nearby base joined the hunt.
"They went out in snowmobiles and found the first body very quickly. The
other two were close by," he said.
Two of the dead were U.S. citizens, aged 36 and 43, while the third was
a 49-year-old Austrian. Each had paid $22,000 to take part.
"I am mystified. These were extremely experienced skydivers who had each
jumped hundreds of times. We don't have any clue as to what happened,"
McDowell said.
"They all brought their own parachutes which they packed themselves," he
added, saying possible causes included equipment failure, an error of
judgment or weather conditions.
Two of the dead men were coordinators for the jump and had briefed the
others beforehand. All were wearing protective clothing against the cold,
although the drop would only have lasted between 90 and 120 seconds.
"There are always risks involved with parachuting and you can never
cancel them all out," McDowell said. The bodies are now at the firm's
South Pole base and are due to be flown to Chile on Monday
Dozens of people have jumped at the North Pole but few try at the South
Pole, mainly because of the expense and logistical difficulties. McDowell
said he believed two of the three dead men had also jumped at the North
Pole.
^REUTERS@
=============================================================================
3 Skydivers Killed at South Pole
(December 8, 3:53 am)
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - The first skydiving attempt at the South Pole
has ended in tragedy, with three jumpers plunging to their deaths when
their parachutes failed to open.
The two Americans and an Austrian who died Sunday were among six skydivers
on a jump organized by Adventure Network International, a company that
has been flying tourists to the South Pole since 1988.
This was billed as the first private skydiving jump ever made at the
South Pole, near Amundsen-Scott station.
The company refused to release names of the victims pending notification
of relatives.
But a Seattle TV station and newspaper reported that Steve Mulholland, a
36-year-old resident of Seattle, was killed.
Mulholland was a former employee of Antarctic Support Associates, the
civilian contractor that supplies and staffs U.S. Antarctic bases, and
one of the organizers of the South Pole skydiving trip.
The other American killed was Ray Miller Jr., 43, a veteran skydiver from
Tiffin, Ohio, two Ohio newspapers said today, quoting his wife.
All the jumpers were men, Michael McDowell of Adventure Network
International said by telephone.
The six jumped from a Twin Otter aircraft at about 8,500 feet, McDowell
said.
Two hit the ground without their parachutes ever opening, and the chute on
the third did not open fully, McDowell said.
Three companions, an American and two Norwegians, landed safely without
incident, he said.
The company was still trying to determine what went wrong, McDowell said.
"The three guys were very experienced, with many hundreds of jumps each,
skydived all round the world and at the North Pole," so they knew about
cold-weather jumping, McDowell said.
A notice circulated to U.S. Antarctic staff by the U.S. National Science
Foundation representative at McMurdo Station, forwarded to The Associated
Press, provided this account:
The skydivers made their attempt Sunday morning from a Twin Otter
aircraft, the type ANI usually uses to fly tourists to the South Pole for
a quick visit.
Three chutes failed to open, and the South Pole doctor and emergency team
found the bodies after a short search.
Adventure Network flew the bodies and survivors out later Sunday to their
base camp at Patriot Hills, between the Ellsworth Mountains and the Ronne
Ice Shelf on the South American side of Antarctica.
From there they will return to Punta Arenas, Chile, where ANI has an
office. They also have an office in London.
Adventure Network has no connection with the U.S. Antarctic Program or
National Science Foundation.
In addition to the South Pole fights, it also organizes mountain climbing
expeditions and visits to penguin rookeries.
Because no nation owns Antarctica, private companies may organize
expeditions to any part of the continent they can reach.
============================================================================
Sky dive over South Pole ends in death for 3
Associated Press, 12/08/97 00:22
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Two Americans and an Austrian attempting a
sky dive at the South Pole died Sunday when their chutes failed to open
properly, sending them plummeting to the ice.
The victims were among six sky divers on a jump organized by Adventure
Network International, which has been flying tourists to the South Pole
since 1988.
A 36-year-old Seattle resident, Steve Mulholland, was among those
reported killed. His girlfriend, Beth Melius, told the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer she heard about Mulholland's death from his parents,
who were contacted by company officials.
Mulholland was a former employee of Antarctic Support Associates, the
civilian contractor that supplies and staffs U.S. Antarctic bases, and was
one of the organizers of the South Pole skydiving trip.
``It was just a sky dive. For him that's a walk in the park. He jumps
off 300-foot objects. This was nothing I even worried about,'' Melius
told Seattle's KIRO Television.
Two Ohio newspapers, The Blade of Toledo and the Advertiser-Tribune of
Tiffin, reported the second American who died was Ray Miller Jr., 43, of
Tiffin, a veteran skydiver who had a 1994 jump over the North Pole.
The company refused to release names of the victims pending notification
of relatives. All the jumpers were men, Michael McDowell of Adventure
Network said by telephone.
The six jumped from a Twin Otter aircraft at about 8,500 feet, McDowell
said.
Two hit the ground without their parachutes ever opening, and the chute
on the third did not open fully, McDowell said.
Three companions - an American and two Norwegians making what was billed
as the South Pole's first tandem jump - landed without incident.
The company was still trying to determine what went wrong, McDowell
said.
``The three guys were very experienced, with many hundreds of jumps
each, sky dived all round the world and at the North Pole,'' so they knew
about cold-weather jumping, McDowell said.
Adventure Network International, which has offices in Punta Arenas,
Chile, and Beaconsfield, England, flew the bodies and survivors out later
Sunday to its base camp at Patriot Hills on the South American side of
Antarctica.
Since no nation owns Antarctica, private companies may organize
expeditions to any part of the continent they can reach.
============================================================================
Skydivers killed when chutes fail to open over South Pole
December 7, 1997
S Y D N E Y, Australia, (AP) - Three people plunged to their deaths when
their parachutes failed to open Sunday, in what was believed to be the
first skydive at the South Pole. They were among six skydivers on the
jump, organized by Adventure Network International, a private company
that has been flying tourists to the South Pole since 1988. The names
and nationalities of the victims and survivors were not released by U.S.
Antarctic officials. The cause of the accident was not immediately known.
A notice circulated to U.S. Antarctic staff by Dwight Fisher, the U.S.
National Science Foundation representative at McMurdo Station, confirmed
that the deaths occurred during what was believed to be the first private
skydiving jump ever made at the South Pole. Bodies Flown to Base Camp The
notice, forwarded to The Associated Press, said the skydivers made their
jump Sunday morning. Three chutes failed to open, and a South Pole doctor
and emergency team found the bodies after a short search. Adventure
Network International flew the bodies and survivors later Sunday to their
base camp. From there they were to return to Punta Arenas, Chile, where
ANI has an office. It also has an office in London. Since no nation owns
Antarctica, private companies may organize expeditions to any part of the
continent they can reach.
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Merlinis
> Weiß jemand mehr über diesen Unfall ?
Nicht viel aussaekraeftiger, aber die URL von CNN zu diesem Unfall:
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9712/07/skydiving.deaths.ap/
Ralf Stolzenberg
--
**************************************************************
MERLINIS Canopy Formation Team-Homepage at:
http://www.ohz.north.de/user/merlinis/home.htm
**************************************************************
ker...@math.ohio-state.edu
gerade habe ich einen Bericht (s.u.) der APA gefunden in dem,
der Name des Verungl"uckten "Osterreichers erw"ahnt wird.
Allerdings weiss ich immer noch nicht ob ich einen von den beiden
Springern (Hans Rezac oder Matthias Woelfle) aus dem Artikel kenne.
Falls jemand weiss ob einer der beiden Professor (ich denke in Chemie)
ist, and einen Umweltstudiengang arbeitet, und/oder letztes Jahr in
Ohio bei den POPS dabei war, lass es mich per e-mail wissen.
Der URL ist:
http://www.styria.com/tmh/news/Aus_aller_WeltCOL\1997_12_07_20_49_WWN_55.asp
Der Text:
--------------------------------------------------------
Österreicher Hans Rezac in der Antarktis tödlich verunglückt
1997-12-07 20:49:00
Wien (APA) - Der 49jährige Extremsportler Hans Rezac aus Wien ist am
Wochenende bei einem Fallschirmabsprung über der Antarktis tödlich
verunglückt.
Wie ein Bekannter Rezacs, der Eisenstädter Fallschirmspringer Matthias
Wölfle, Sonntag abend mitteilte, habe er noch vor zehn Tagen mit Rezac
telefoniert und ihm Spezialhandschuhe ins chilenische Punta Arenas
nachgeschickt. Ursprünglich habe er den Antarktissprung gemeinsam mit
Rezac durchführen wollen. Da er sich vor einem Jahr aus dem
Fallschirmsport zurückgezogen habe, habe er, Wölfle, dann aber auf die
Reise in die Antarktis verzichtet. Rezac hatte sich als Extremsportler
verstanden, der es liebte, Rekorde zu brechen und seine Grenzen
auszuloten. Sein besonderes Hobby war das Fallschirmspringen. Vor dem
Absprung über der Antarktis war Rezac im April des heurigen Jahres über
dem ewigen Eis des Nordpols abgesprungen. Der Reiseveranstalter
"Adventure Network International" hatte am Sonntag in London mitgeteilt,
daß ein Abenteuerurlaub über dem Südpol für drei Teilnehmer tödlich
geendet habe. Die Fallschirme von zwei Amerikanern und einem
Österreicher hätten sich bei dem Absprung aus 3.000 Metern Höhe nicht
geöffnet. Die Springer hätten über außergewöhnliche Erfahrung verfügt
und ihre eigenen Schirme benutzt, sodaß das Unglück zunächst
unerklärlich sei. Der Reiseveranstalter nannte keine Namen der
Verunglückten. Das Außenministerium in Wien konnte den Namen des
Österreichers Sonntag abend gleichfalls noch nicht bestätigen.
---------------------------------------------------
Thomas, C-27848
Jan Kellermann
Dies ist eine mehrteilige Nachricht im MIME-Format.
--------------B8F9817E863D285F86010E7E
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Dan Poynter schrieb:
Here is the latest info from Ed Meyer. Ed Meyer, Ray Miler and I made the
North Pole jump in 1994.
So far, I have been contacted by Inside Edition, Outside Magazine and ABC
news. Inside Edition plans a (TV) piece for Tuesday evening.
Stay tuned.
------------------------------------
Para Publishing, Dan Poynter: Author-Publisher-Speaker
Information products on non-fiction book promotion and parachutes/skydiving
Web site: http://www.ParaPublishing.com/books/para/250
PO Box 8206-250, Santa Barbara, CA 93118-8206 USA. Tel: (805) 968-7277; Fax:
(805) 968-1379;
Fax-On-Demand: (805) 968-8947; Cellular (805) 448-9009; email:
DanPo...@ParaPublishing.com
-----Original Message-----
From: EMeyer8175 <EMeye...@aol.com>
To: Dan Poynter <danpo...@email.msn.com>
Cc: cnu...@loomisfargo.com <cnu...@loomisfargo.com>; Bettina Balmer
<bba...@worldnet.fr>; Krista Owens <slg...@prodigy.com>; Nathalie Chudiak
<chu...@pi.net>; skydive...@MIT.EDU <skydive...@MIT.EDU>; Wilma &
Max Dereta <wil...@xs4all.nl>
Date: Monday, December 08, 1997 5:53 PM
Subject: Re: South Pole Accident
>Subj: RE: South Pole Accident
>Date: 97-12-08 20:16:47 EST
>
>
>Dan,
>
>I have had additional conversations with Mike McDowell (ANI) in Hamburg,
>Germany. He had just spoken with Michael Kearns, the surviving American
>jumper. Attached is the latest information that I have. Ed
>
>Early this morning (and again at 6:00PM EST) I spoke with Mike McDowell (Co-
>owner of Adventure Networks International - ANI) in Hamburg, Germany.
>
>The information that I received from Mike McDowell is as follows:
>
>The sky divers who died were:
>Ray Miller - Tiffin Ohio (NP-1994)
>Steve Mulholland - Seattle, Washington (NP-1994)
>Hans Ruzel - Austria
>
>There were six jumpers on the expedition. The expedition party landed at the
>South Pole then took off again for the jump. The jump was made from a Twin
>Otter at an altitude of 8,500 AGL (ground elevation is approximately 9,803
>feet at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station - jump altitude was apx. 18,303
>MSL). The jumpers all had supplemental oxygen on board but according to a
>statement made by Michael Kearns (the surviving American jumper), Ray, Steve
>and Hans all declined to use the oxygen. Weather conditions were reported to
>be excellent for the jump. All jumpers had functional atlimeters.
>
>A tandem pair (Halvorsen and Jacobsen) from Norway made a successful landing.
>The four other jumpers (Americans: Ray Miller from Tiffin, Ohio - Steve
>Mulholland from Seattle, Washington and Michael Kearns from Washington, D.C.)
>and Austrian jumper Hans Ruzel attempted to do a 4 way RW jump.
>
>The 4 way formation did not come together. Michael Kearns stated that he was
>above the other jumpers and becoming very concerned with their altitude. He
>reached for his 'reserve' handle to get something out quickly but before he
>could pull the reserve handle his Cypress fired. Mr. Kearns has stated the
>the other three jumpers (Ray, Steve and Hans) were not using AAD's.
>
>From the available information it "appears" that the jumpers may have become
>somewhat hypoxic and lost altitude awareness. Mr. McDowell initially
reported
>that American Michael Kearns was dumped out of the 4 way formation when his
>Cypress fired. Steve Mulholland's parachute was found "partially" opened
>(probably by impact according to a statement from Michael Kearns) but it did
>not "appear" that Ray Miller or Hans Ruzel had made any attempt to pull
either
>their main or reserve chutes. All four bodies were found fairly close
>together.
>
>Mr. McDowell cautioned that this information is preliminary. Anne Kershaw of
>ANI is enroute to Punta Arenas, Chile to meet with the expedition crew at
this
>time. Mr. McDowell will call me later today with additional information
>and/or clarification when it becomes available.
>
>Ed Meyer D-17748
>tel. (508) 829-6700 work
>tel. (508) 829-9231 home
>fax.(508) 829-5151
>e-mail: emeye...@aol.com
--------------B8F9817E863D285F86010E7E
Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="vcard.vcf"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Description: Visitenkarte für Jan Kellermann
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="vcard.vcf"
begin: vcard
fn: Jan Kellermann
n: Kellermann;Jan
email;internet: jankel...@ibm.net
x-mozilla-cpt: ;0
x-mozilla-html: FALSE
end: vcard
--------------B8F9817E863D285F86010E7E--