Glider Pilot Bails Out, Dies After Parachute Fails

[John DeRosa]

At the Canadian Glider Nationals which have been cancelled

===========================

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/glider-pilot-fatal-crash-diamond-valley-1.7220058 

=================================

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/glider-pilot-bails-out-dies-after-parachute-fails/

Canadian authorities are investigating the death of a glider pilot whose parachute failed after he bailed out of the aircraft while competing in the Canadian National Soaring Championships. Kerry Stevenson, 65, of Calgary, was flying near there May 29 when something went wrong. 

“The pilot ejected from the aircraft, attempted to deploy a parachute and unfortunately succumbed to the injuries because of the failed parachute deployment,” said Jason Acker, president of the Alberta Soaring Council. “Clearly, something catastrophic happened and motivated the pilot to take that heroic decision to leave the airplane."

The chain of events occurred about 1:30 p.m. local time about 12 miles southwest of Calgary. Stevenson was a well-known and respected pilot who was an instructor and former president at the Cu Nim Gliding Club, which was hosting the competition. The club said Stevenson “helped shape the flying careers of many Cu Nim glider pilots over many years as a reliable and supportive flight instructor and shaped the club as a long-serving past president.” The Canadian Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

[Eric Greenwell]

"Parachute Fails" - can you tell us about the failure? Ripcord not pulled,  pulled but drogue chute doesn't deploy, deploys but main chute doesn't open, ....

Eric G

[Uli N]

... or the altitude at which the pilot bailed out?

Uli

'AS'

[John DeRosa]

I can find no other information at this time.  We will need to wait for the Canadian "NTSB" report.

Might the pilot have been hit by the canopy and incapacitated him.  It would be interesting to know if the D-Ring was pulled.

[krasw]

So at the moment there is zero evidence of actual parachute fail. 

[cbb...@sbcglobal.net]

This is a GREAT argument for a static line!

 

Regards,

Chris Behm

304DD

 

From: rasp...@googlegroups.com <rasp...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of krasw
Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2024 12:48 AM
To: RAS_Prime <rasp...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [RAS_Prime] Re: Glider Pilot Bails Out, Dies After Parachute Fails

 

So at the moment there is zero evidence of actual parachute fail. 

 

On Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 7:26:08 AM UTC+3 jhde...@gmail.com wrote:

I can find no other information at this time.  We will need to wait for the Canadian "NTSB" report.

 

Might the pilot have been hit by the canopy and incapacitated him.  It would be interesting to know if the D-Ring was pulled.

On Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 8:30:00 PM UTC-5 uline...@aol.com wrote:

... or the altitude at which the pilot bailed out?

 

Uli

'AS'

On Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 8:38:41 PM UTC-4 engre...@gmail.com wrote:

"Parachute Fails" - can you tell us about the failure? Ripcord not pulled,  pulled but drogue chute doesn't deploy, deploys but main chute doesn't open, ...

Eric G

On Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 6:58:48 AM UTC-7 jhde...@gmail.com wrote:

At the Canadian Glider Nationals which have been cancelled

===========================

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/glider-pilot-fatal-crash-diamond-valley-1.7220058 

=================================

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/glider-pilot-bails-out-dies-after-parachute-fails/

 

Canadian authorities are investigating the death of a glider pilot whose parachute failed after he bailed out of the aircraft while competing in the Canadian National Soaring Championships. Kerry Stevenson, 65, of Calgary, was flying near there May 29 when something went wrong. 

 

“The pilot ejected from the aircraft, attempted to deploy a parachute and unfortunately succumbed to the injuries because of the failed parachute deployment,” said Jason Acker, president of the Alberta Soaring Council. “Clearly, something catastrophic happened and motivated the pilot to take that heroic decision to leave the airplane."

The chain of events occurred about 1:30 p.m. local time about 12 miles southwest of Calgary. Stevenson was a well-known and respected pilot who was an instructor and former president at the Cu Nim Gliding Club, which was hosting the competition. The club said Stevenson “helped shape the flying careers of many Cu Nim glider pilots over many years as a reliable and supportive flight instructor and shaped the club as a long-serving past president.” The Canadian Transportation Safety Board is investigating

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[n5...@comcast.net]

Perhaps this is a good time for everyone to review bailout procedures. Here is an excellent video by G Dale. Give it a look!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDXIxHAmSX0

[Dave Nadler]

On Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 12:28:38 PM UTC-7 cbb...@sbcglobal.net wrote:

This is a GREAT argument for a static line!

Yes, please use a static line folks.
For another example of why, see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8I3A3dqsu0

[John DeRosa]

I've watched Allen Silver give his presentation on wearing and using a parachute.

One take away from Silver's talks, and that is in the G. Dale presentation (good stuff there), is to practice on the ground and training your muscle memory.

How do you practice?  

- Each time you land unbuckle the straps and climb out of your glider WHILE STILL WEARING THE PARACHUTE.   DO NOT unbuckle both the straps and the parachute before climbing out of the glider.  I see this all the time at the airport.  You might do just exactly this when the chips are down. 

- Once out of the glider look down at the D-ring and grab ahold of it with both thumbs and simulate looking for it and pulling it.  A bit of red or orange tape on the D-ring may help.

- At your next repack go ahead and pull the D-Ring.  It may not be as easy as you imagine.  

I hope I never have to use a parachute but ...

Thanks, John (OHM)

[Dave Nadler]

On Friday, June 7, 2024 at 1:26:53 PM UTC-7 jhde...@gmail.com wrote:

I've watched Allen Silver give his presentation on wearing and using a parachute....

- Once out of the glider look down at the D-ring and grab ahold
of it with both thumbs and simulate looking for it and pulling it. 

IIRC from Allen's presentations:
Think of PUSHING the ring out away from your chest with both hands.

 Is that right?

[George Haeh]

The rip cord (actually cable) typically runs from the handle over the chest around the shoulder inside a hollow outer cable to the release mechanism in the back.

Pulling directly down seems the best way to avoid adding unnecessary friction. 

The pull force which is recorded on the rigging card is around 22#. It takes a good yank. 

[Frederic Bick]

I'm wondering if the force to deploy pulling the rip cord varies by manufacturer. I have pulled the rip cord on my National a couple of times - straight out, both hands - and the force was surprisingly low, certainly less than 22#. There is no pulling force recorded on my rigging card.

Before my current glider, I always followed the advice to get out with the chute still on, etc. This is pretty important, I think. I've always had the issue of the chute hanging up on the top edge of the turtle deck behind me, so I have to get out avoiding that. Wouldn't want to get hung up during an emergency.

[Tom Seim]

I once pulled the rip cord while wearing the chute and getting it repacked. It was easy - just grab with the opposite hand, pull, and throw away the D handle and cord/cable. If you have to bail out the main problem is getting out of the plane! G forces are going to be acting on you and may be pinning you into your seat. Once out of the glider and clear you have a decision to make: do you pull the rip cord immediately or try to stabilize your fall? Obviously, if you are very low you pull immediately, but if you have altitude, try stabilizing the tumbling first. I talked to one pilot who suffered injuries from the risers wrapping around his neck while the chute inflated.

Tom 2G

[Ian Molesworth]

On his course G Dale reckoned get out and pull. Most people would lnow how to stabilise a fall and time is not something you have really.

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[Ramy Yanetz]

It is worth emphasizing that in case of G forces pinning you to the seat, push the stick hard  forward. If the elevator is still working, this will generate negative or reduced g. 

On static line, I keep hearing that it is a good idea, and most gliders have a hook for static line, yet I haven’t seen not even one pilot using it in the places I fly in the US the last 25 years. 

Other than the risk of accidentally deploying when exiting and walking away from the glider, any other cons? Anyone using it care to comment? 

Ramy

[Tom Seim]

Pilots have an inherent capability of recognizing if they are stabilized or not. As I wrote: if you are low, pull IMMEDIATELY. But if you have plenty of altitude take your time and assess the situation. This is just plain, common sense.

Tom 2G

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[Tom Seim]

Sure, if you accidentally deploy your emergency chute you will no longer have use of it for some time and will probably fly without it. Most of us fly at locations that don't have licensed repackers, but even if you do it will still take some time to get it repacked.

Tom 2G

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[Tom Seim]

How do we stabilize our body in a free-fall? A quick search produced this:

Having the hips and pelvis as the lowest point produces an aerodynamically stable effect, much like a shuttlecock in badminton. Relax: We realize this one sounds a bit counterintuitive as you leap from a plane in flight, but the ability to relax your body will come in handy for skydiving body control.

Additional tips can be found at:

https://www.skydivecarolina.com/blog/top-tips-for-skydiving-body-control/#:~:text=Having%20the%20hips%20and%20pelvis,handy%20for%20skydiving%20body%20control.

Tom 2G

[Jim Archer]

Advice on the internet varies in value.  

Every skydiving instructor that I have talked to (three) has advised me to pull immediately after bailout.  

The idea that a pilot with no skydiving training would be able to achieve a stabilized fall after a bailout is to me laughable, and probably dangerous advice.  This is obvious to anyone who has ever done a tandem jump.  Go take a tandem at least before you give bailout instructions on the internet.  It will definitely open your eyes to some reality.

[Charles Mampe]

What we know today:

Broken glider

Pilot outside of wreckage and dead

Chute not open

Anything else is speculation, nothing more, nothing less. We don't even know if belts were released (pilot action) or broken.

Speculate all you want, but I will wait for real info.

Condolences to his family, those that knew him, and anyone affected by this.

[John Sinclair]

Many years ago, we had what looked like an attempted bailout. The chute was fully deployed, but didn’t open! Further investigation revealed the glider hit the very top of a cone shaped knoll and the cockpit was completely destroyed! During the crash the pilot chute popped out and was jammed in the wreckage. The pilot was thrown forward and was found at the end of his fully deployed chute!

The pilot never attempted to bailout, but it sure looked like it!

Just a data point to consider,

JJ

[Harry Johnson]

JJ, I for one appreciate your opinion on this tragic event, so many seem to have all the answers, yet know very little about the event. Having flown gliders for 50years and lost friend in tragic accidents I would encourage all the speculators to sit back and wait for the final results from the NTSB. This reminds me of all those speculators looking for MH370, lots of expert blokes out there. Harold

[Ramy Yanetz]

You must have a lot of faith on NTSB reports, which generally takes at least 2 years and in most cases do not provide any answers we can learn from. Speculations, on the other hand, give food for thoughts. No one claims to have the answers, we just trying to learn all the possible ways to avoid accidents, and to assess the risks. 

Ramy

[Harry Johnson]

Yes, I do have much more faith in a professional investigation than speculation, professional investigation like those of the ATSB and NTSB analyze evidence, and provide merit based results. My apologies if you can prove otherwise, and yes, it can take a long period before the final result is published, yet the facts are examined and known long before the final release of the investigation. I also would have a tendency to  rely upon eyewitness information and not speculation. After days of torrential rains it is dry enough to fly here in Florida, hope you have a enjoyable day mate. Harold

[Tom Seim]

My advice is worth every cent you paid for it. If you want to pull the rip cord immediately and break your neck go right ahead. If you want to take a full skydiving course and become a certified skydiver go right ahead. I DON'T CARE!

Tom 2G

[John Sinclair]

I’m with Ramy on this one, thoughtful informed opinions are often all we will ever have. I have waited for final reports only to find they didn’t even know the facts that RAS had revealed!

Having said that, in my opinion; Telling everyone to stabilize their position, prior to pulling the D-ring has got to be the worst opinion I have ever read………bare none!

JJ

[Harry Johnson]

This is very interesting to me, could you please site an example of where RAS revealed the facts and the ATSB or NTSB was incorrect in their findings. I was warned that RAS was a unique bunch of blokes, maybe that bit of information was correct. Harold

[Mike Reid]

I don't know about RAS, but here are several examples of where the NTSB has changed their findings after input from members of the aviation community or new information that has been found.

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/ntsb-accident-investigations-what-you-need-to-know/

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/ntsb-revises-keys-crash-report-changes-cause-to-undetermined/

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2024/february/29/ntsb-reverses-findings-that-pinned-fatal-accident-on-tamarack-winglets

https://www.cnn.com/2001/US/06/05/1991.air.crash/index.html

[Dirk Darling]

I appreciate the thought provoking speculation. Even if the speculative suggestions proves to not be related to the actual accident that triggered it, there is still some gold nuggets of wisdom that can be gleamed from the candidate causes.  I have since made, and installed a static line in my Glider.  That lonely unused hole over my shoulder now has some purpose.  I hope I'll never need it.

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[Ramy Yanetz]

I don’t know about ATSB, but as far as glider crashes go, the only time when the NTSB report has any value is when local pilots heavily involved and assisting the NTSB. Still you’ll need to wait couple of years for the final report, even when the facts are known immediately. Meanwhile valuable lessons may be lost/delayed. 

I sure hope that the facts and probable cause of this tragic accident will be shared with the soaring community long before the NTSB report. 

Ramy

On Jun 16, 2024, at 3:07 PM, Harry Johnson <gliderp...@gmail.com> wrote:

This is very interesting to me, could you please site an example of where RAS revealed the facts and the ATSB or NTSB was incorrect in their findings. I was warned that RAS was a unique bunch of blokes, maybe that bit of information was correct. Harold

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[David S]

I have heard from more than one rigger that a static line must not be attached to the D-ring.  You should have your rigger reconfigure the container so that the static line attaches on the back, not the front.

Your rigger may disagree, but it's worth asking.

   ...david

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[*Eric Greenwell1*]

I'm probably being Captain Obvious with this remark, but I think the very first thing you should do is contact the parachute manufacturer for instructions on converting to a static line, and the proper use of it.

Eric G

[Harry Johnson]

The point made by the added information on accidents is that they are not based on speculation, rather factual information or results. The ATSB has also amended information on crashes and accidents, I have never seen one based on speculation, or theory. I am sure they will have added results on the crash of MH370 when found, I think the results will clarify all speculative theories. Harold

[Ramy Yanetz]

Indeed that’s the reason why many NTSB reports don’t add value, since all too often there isn’t  enough information to come up with a likely cause. According to your logic, it sounds like you prefer to wait for MH370 to be found (possibly never) before making any speculations of what could have caused its disappearance and how to reduce the chance that such accident happen again. 

Ramy

On Jun 17, 2024, at 6:58 AM, Harry Johnson <gliderp...@gmail.com> wrote:

The point made by the added information on accidents is that they are not based on speculation, rather factual information or results. The ATSB has also amended information on crashes and accidents, I have never seen one based on speculation, or theory. I am sure they will have added results on the crash of MH370 when found, I think the results will clarify all speculative theories. Harold

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[Harry Johnson]

Mr. Ramy, your and others conjecture does not add fact to the incident. As far as the logical conclusion that MH370 will be found I will speculate on that. Harold 

[John Sinclair]

I am working on a rather lengthily reply that clearly shows the NTSB did a shoddy job and didn’t even mention what I believe was the primary cause + new facts revealed on RAS………….stay tuned!

JJ

[Ryszard Krolikowski]

JJ,

Add May 20 2011 Da40C1 in Wurtzboro, NY

Ryszard Krolikowski 

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[Ryszard Krolikowski]

Da20C1

[George Haeh]

TSB Canada, and I suspect other TSBs, generally do not assign the same resources to glider accidents as they do to air carrier accidents. Reports are only as good as the information investigators have.

I posted a critique to a TSB report over a decade ago. Unfortunately that critique was lost when the hosting website was vandalized. 

In this case, TSB investigators were at the club doing witness interviews and were receptive to suggestions of investigatory avenues. 

Unlike the NTSB which posts a public docket, TSB Canada does not. There are different legislative frameworks. 

[Dave Nadler]

On Sunday, June 16, 2024 at 1:40:57 PM UTC-6 johnsin...@yahoo.com wrote:

...in my opinion; Telling everyone to stabilize their position, prior to pulling the D-ring

has got to be the worst opinion I have ever read………bare none!

Yup, if I'd followed that advice I'd be dead. Pull immediately.

[Mark Mocho]

Like the old joke- If you stutter, don't count to ten!

[Harry Johnson]

I doubt that the individual whom made that remark has ever done any jump training, guess the mate has a extra long connect cable from the glider to the chute so it will allow him to stabilize first. I agree, not good or intelligent advice. Harold

[Dirk Darling]

This thread has shifted into two separate subjects and I'm interested in continuing the discussion about installing and using a static line.  So I'll start a new thread on that subject.  I haven't been able to find much information on this so I think there will be some value in getting some focused discussion on it.

[Tom Seim]

The best case for a static line I have read on this thread is that it will open the chute of an incapacitated pilot. And that is a good point. I will ignore that extra-long static line to stabilize sarcasm.

Tom 2G