Posted on 04/23/2005 7:42:41 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. -- A skydiver's legs were severed at the knees and he later died after he collided with an airplane over Volusia County.
A spokesperson for the Deland Police Department said the airplane was about 600 feet in the air Saturday morning when skydiver Albert "Guss" Wing III, of Longwood, collided with its left wing.
Both of Wing's legs were separated from his body at the knees, but he still managed to maneuver the parachute and land, police said.
The airplane landed safely and police investigators found damage to the plane's left wing.
The skydiver was treated by emergency personnel at the scene and was airlifted to Halifax Hospital where he died. The Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office and the FAA have been notified.
The aircraft has been identified as a fixed-wing, propeller-driven DHC-6 Twin Otter.
OMG!!!!
Never wing it.
May he rest in peace,the poor guy.
When I read thing like this I'm glad I've always been a coward and would never jump from a plane.
I have NO desire to jump from a perfectly good airplane.
If it's going down, then I'll be the first out the door.
If he'd been in Iraq, he would have lived.
Happened in Western Mass. a few years ago. In that case the passengers on the plane died, the skydiver survived. It turns out the plane was in restricted airspace, reserved for skydivers.
Happened in Western Mass. a few years ago. In that case the passengers on the plane died, the skydiver survived. It turns out the plane was in restricted airspace, reserved for skydivers.
How horrible! Wonder if the plane was in the right area, as another poster brought up.
Ping...
How could a person skydive in a zone where there is other air traffic?
The vast majority of small-plane "crashes" are non-fatal. Such aircraft glide for large distances. If the pilot keeps his cool and glides the plane down, his chances are very good. If he panics and stalls or spins the plane in steeply, then he's probably a dead duck. So you may be better off staying with the plane, expecially since you're unlikely to have a parachute!
This is horrible.
Small world...this story sounds a bit like what happened to this guy (he was lucky enough to survive the ordeal).
http://www.danabowman.com/
Utterly horrific and terribly sad!
I guess now he is no longer a fan of fix-wings... now that he is a broken-wing and all....
You have to have an understanding of skydiving and general aviation. They work together. Most skydiving happens AT an airport. The idea is the skydivers are taken up and dropped so they return to the airport or a point near it. You can't just stop all air activity around most airports because of some skydiving. At major sites, it's marked on a pilots charts, or if facilities are available, a radio message may be announced on the airports frequency when skydiving oprations are currently happening. It IS the pilots job to know where these areas are, and to steer well clear of the specific area of skydivers. Generally you see the aircraft that takes them up circling over the airport and you know to stay out from under it... but the sky is a big place. I'm sure the pilot didn't want to hit anyone. The tragic part is at 600' the parachute was undoubtedly open, which should have made him more visible. But don't think that just because you have a "big" parachute that you are instantly visible to a pilot. Any number of things from the angle of approach to the skydiver, to the background color or clutter behind him, to the flare of the sun could impede the pilots ability to see him.
It's horrible, and the pilot will have nightmares about this for the rest of his life. Try to feel badly for them both. I'm positive the pilot did not get up this morning thinking "gee, I'll go run over a skydiver today."
As someone who flies in small aircraft frequently, It's one of those horrible things that give you nightmares when you think about it, right up there with the power line you don't see coming. Hitting a single bird can be a very violent and dangerous impact in a small plane... hitting a human is unthinkable.
May God grant mercy and peace to them both.
Your insightful perspective is appreciated.
mc
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