CReW-Related Fatalities in the U.S  (1996-2001)


     Is CRW dangerous? - You bet it is! But so is jumping out of an airplane in the first place! 
    The additional risks are  very obvious - the are additional types of emergencies, namely
    wraps and entanglements, situations can require quite more complex emergency actions
    that the "push-one-push-two" of a regular malfunction, and there's no limit to imagining
    hairraising gift wrap scenarios. There are, however, also a number of factors that work for
   the CRW jumper.  For example, the obviousness of the risks usually generates a good deal of 
    respect and preparation for CRW jumps; in case the main malfunctions you have 13,000'  to deal 
    with it; also in a wrap you should a lot of tiime and altitude to sort things out; high-performance
    landing are relatively uncommon with CRW canopies; and CRW jumper are generally more
    "canopy educated" to deal with landing problems.  The key to be a (relatively) safe CRW jumper 
    is preparation, undertsanding the situations you can and will get in, and to remain "heads-up" 
     in the air. 

    Still, many of us are statistics fanatics and want to know how these factors play out in 
    numbers,  particularly in comparison with skydiving overall.  The only numbers accessible to 
    me are unfortunately the fatality statistics.  Since I don't know the total numbers of CRW jumps
    a direct comparison is difficult. Depending on what you want to count, between 1 % and 2.8 % 
    of all U.S. skydiving fatalities are CRW related.  So whether CRW is statistically more dangerous
    depends on whether more or less that 1-2.8 % of all jumps in the U.S. are CRW jumps.   

    Below I collected the  fatalities that are occured in the U.S. from Jan 1996- Dec 2001 and
    that were in some  way CRW related. The source is Barry Brumitt's Fatality Page .  The 
    total number of skydiving fatalities (excluding plane crashes) over this six year period is
    about   213 - the total number of fatalities with some connection to CRW is 6 (5 incidents).  
    Here the overview:
2001  * drowning accident due to  high winds, and not handling the spot. 
* landing accident after break-off from down-plane.  Maybe a lost toggle. 
2000   (None)
1999  (None)
1998 (None)
1997  * slider entangled with camera helmet, after cut-away from wrap. 
1996 * landed a wrap after late/unsuccessful cut-away. 
* * Double fatality due to canopy collision after tight competition exit. 
 
   There's only one incident, the first of 1996, that is due to a "normal" wrap or entanglement 
    that couldn't be resolved successfully or in time. The other cases there were exception 
    circumstances, which, nevertheless, should be taken seriously. Here some "lessons" 
    from the  above/below incidents: 
  • Although it is subject of many jokes about CRW being sloppy about the spot can get you  and others into dangerous situations. 
  • After a low break-off (downplane, landing side-by-sides/stacks, ...), particularly if they involve other grips, be  sure you get a secure grip on your toggles or  be ready to rear riser  your landing.  
  • Any other equipment that can possibly snag and that you take into a CRW-formation   poses an obvious additional risk.  Know what risks you are taking and be sure you don't   endanger other jumpers. 
  • If the top jumper in a  wrap gives a "cut-away" command -   don't hesitate without   serious reason. 
  • Altitude permitting try to clear your pack and riser before a cut-away to make sure  you fall free.
  • Protective head gear can help if you need to land a messy ball of nylon. 
  • Competition exits are higher risk. For recreational CRW give ~3 sec separation,  have your hand on the risers, and look around you for company. 

More Detailed Fatality Accounts:
                
 2001:     (Total 32)
 
 

Date Location Category Age # Jumps AAD?/RSL?
12/23/01 Celina, OH LAND/CRW 29 ~500 ?? / ??

        from http://www.makeithappen.com/jumps/news/news239.html

        MONTEZUMA - The body of a drowned skydiver was recovered from Grand Lake
        St. Marys early Sunday.

        The body of Jason Krieg was found at 9:54 a.m. about 10 yards from where he entered the water, said Frank Giannola, Grand Lake St.
        Marys park manager.  Krieg, 29, of New Bremen, was skydiving with Bruce Cyphers of St. Marys at about 4   p.m. Saturday when the two
        were blown off course by strong winds. They planned to  land at an airport near Montezuma. "They just overshot their landing spot,"
        Giannola said.

        Both landed in the lake, but Cyphers was wearing a wetsuit that protected him from  the 42-degree water, Giannola said.
        Recovery teams used drag hooks to search the waters in the area where Krieg went beneath the water, Giannola said.
        "The guys who went out originally had a real good mark," he said.

        Those men, arriving on the scene within five minutes, were duck hunters. When they   pulled up Krieg's parachute without him attached,
         the men dropped a duck decoy in the water to mark the spot, Giannola said.  The body was taken to Mercer County Community Hospital in
         Coldwater.
        _________________________

        Saturday we lost a jumper Jason Krieg- jump master at Grand Lakes Skydive near   Celina Ohio lost his life in a CRW accident.
        Jason and best life long friend Bruce (BO) decided to do CRW on the 3rd load of the day   Saturday, the winds were 12-18 on the ground,
         and 50-65 at 10,000 .  2 RW jumpers got out of the plane at their choosen exit point, and landed without   incident. Jason and BO exited
         another 2.5- 3.0 miles further south, south west from  that point..puting their exit point at nearly 4 miles from the DZ.

        no one really noticed them exit, and didn't see them until we heard the plane making    circles low, and to the east of the Drop zone....
        that is when we noticed the pair now was  nearly 2 miles east, north east of the drop zone, getting close to grand lake saint marys,
        (1.5 miles north of the DZ) we got a chase van to the spot within minutes, to find they     had both gone into the lake 200 yards from shore,
        2 boats were on them within 2 mins.   and pulled BO out of the water, BO was wearing a neoprene wet suit under his clothes
        to keep him warm on the jump, here in Ohio it has been warmer than normal...but the   suit was a good idea since they would be under
        canopy at high alitudes for so long. (this   wet suit turned out to have saved his life, due to the protection from the frigid cold
        water, and helped keep him a float) reports from bruce says that jason could have   landed safely, but choose to stay with bruce to insure
        a safe landing for bruce, who had   less experience. with CRW...and water landings. jason was missing from 3 PM    stopped at night
        fall saturday night... his body was found sunday  at 10 am.    the pilot reports to have seen the pair running with the wind for a period
        of time, no one  know why, with strong uppers.
 
 

Date Location Category Age # Jumps AAD?/RSL?
6/17/01 Buckeye, AZ LAND ?? Lots ?? / No?

       Description: This jumper was in a downplane with another jumper. They  broke at a low but relatively
       safe altitude, approximately 300ft.. After the CRW breakoff, he initiated a straight in front-riser approach,
       and probably lost a toggle when releasing the front risers and initiating his flare, resulting in a sharp right
       turn just before impact. He died on the scene with massive head trauma. He was wearing gloves, which
       may have made it harder to both keep hold of the toggle, and to recognize when it was dropped.

       Lessons: Anytime you grab your front risers before landing, you are taking the risk of dropping a
       toggle. Since there are typically only a few (less than 5?) seconds between release and landing, instant
       recognition of a dropped toggle is essential. If you're very quick, grabbing the rear risers and flaring this
       way may help. However, flaring with only one toggle is probably worse than no flare at all. Prepare to PLF
       and good luck.
 

1997:     (Total 33)
 
 

Date Location Category Age # Jumps AAD?/RSL?
5/30/97 Crosskeys,NJ  CRW  32 ~2000   ??/?? 

       Description: While videoing a 2-way CRW jump, a wrap occurred at about 4000' between the camera
       flyer and another dive participant. The deceased cutaway, but the slider stowed behind his head became
       caught on part of his camera helmet and thus his main failed to separate. The reserve became entangled
       with the main and he hit the ground hard. He was alert and conscious that evening, but died of internal
       injuries the next morning while in surgery. The deceased was taking part in as well as or videoing the
       CRW dive. He was likely jumping a Jedei, which is not a canopy designed for CRW. He indicated he had to
       deploy the reserve because lines were around his neck and he was starting to pass out. About 1000 of his
       jumps were with a camera.

       Lessons: While it may appear the deceased did "everything right", a slider stowed behind the head both
       obscures vision and can hamper a clean cutaway in the event of a canopy collision (CRW related or not.) If
       a camera helmet has exposed surfaces on which a line, riser, bridle or other canopy component could
       become snagged, it is helpful if the helmet may be cutaway. Flying a camera, particularly in CRW
       formations, always presents some additional hazards.

1996:     (Total 33)
 
 
 

Date Location Category Age # Jumps AAD?/RSL?
7/5/96  Perris, CA  CRW  25 223  ??/?? 

      Description:  2-way CRW wrap lead to a fatality. The surviving jumper was very seriously injured. They
       both "landed" under one or more not-fully-inflated canopies. Summary from Parachutist: "At
       approximately 6000ft with the deceased on the bottom of a two stack, a wrap occurred with the top jumper
       snagged in the brake lines of the bottom jumpers canopy. The top jumper told the bottom to cutaway, but
       when the bottom jumper finally did, he failed to fall away clear. The reserve was pulled, but did not inflate.

       Lessons:   CRW wraps are tricky, but when one jumper is certain things aren't improving, it's best to
       listen to his advice. A hard helmet might have helped here
 

       (Double Fatality)
 

Date Location Category Age # Jumps AAD?/RSL?
10/22/96  Eloy, AZ  CRW  40 & ?? Lots & ??  ??/?? 
 
      Description: Person A was part of a 4 way CRW team. He exited 3rd and Person B exited 4th. Person B
       had an opening hesitation plus a 180 degree off heading opening, and they collided while Person A was
       front risering for the first hookup. The canopies hit first, spun, then their bodies collided. They spun for for
       a while, and the wrap cleared. Person A was found dead on the scene while person B was critically
       injured. Person B was removed from life support 6 days later, as there was no sign of brain activity.

       Lessons: Expert CRW exits carry an additional degree of risk. This is an example of how bad things can
       go when they really go wrong.