Xref: utzoo rec.skydiving:1852 rec.aviation:32009 Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnewsh!hosmsb!msb From: msb@hosmsb.ATT.COM (Mike Balenger) Newsgroups: rec.skydiving,rec.aviation Subject: Portland, OR jump plane wreck Message-ID: <1991Jan4.173433.19204@cbnewsh.att.com> Date: 4 Jan 91 17:34:33 GMT Sender: msb@cbnewsh.att.com (michael.s.balenger) Reply-To: msb@hos1cad.ATT.COM (Mike Balenger) Distribution: rec Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories -- Holmdel, NJ Lines: 41 I got this little tid-bit in the mail from a friend in Portland. Anyone else know more? Pilot error? Non-current plane inspection? Poor maintenance? Wind shear? Gravity waves? It was probably a C-182, and was therefore well within weight limits. ...we lost another skydiver in the [Portland, OR] area. One of Ralph [Hatley]'s planes lost power on takeoff and went into a bunch of Christmas trees with pilot and 3 jumpers. One guy was killed and the pilot and a jumper were seriously injured. Another jumper was thrown clear and went back to help. Pretty amazing that someone could be thrown clear of a plane, and still have enough body fluids and whole bones left to even stand up. I guess in this case, contrary to most automobile accident statistics, being thrown clear may have helped -- he seemed to be in the best shape. Note that although this is clearly an AVIATION accident, it gets seen in the public eyes as a SKYDIVING accident. I've cross-posted to rec.skydiving and rec.aviation. I'd like to hear from non-skydivers on this. After all, the two are pretty closely entwined. As skydivers, we (should and do) respect the decisions of the pilot-in-command with regard to loading, weight limits, whether it's OK to take-off, when to exit, etc. We often do so without even thinking about how much responsibility they take on our behalf. Should we, as skydivers, take a more active interest in the aviation side of our sport? If so, how can we do so without pissing off all the jump pilots, but still making sure that we're hopping into a "perfectly good airplane". After all, if skydivers have to _LAND_ in it, it probably wasn't a "perfectly good airplane". -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael S. Balenger (908) 949-8789 AT&T Bell Labs FAX: (908) 949-7512 M_Balenger@att.com Room 1L-405 msb@hos1cad.att.com Crawfords Corner Road att!hos1cad!msb Holmdel, NJ 07733-1988