Helicopter Skydive Close Calls

[nicobrink]

Anybody here had any close calls as a jump pilot in choppers?

I used to skydive a lot and now I fly helicopters and just watched a Youtube video of a reserve canopy being deployed while the skydiver climbs out onto the skid. The rip cord handle hooks onto the wheel attachment point.

I’m curious about the risks involved.

[RVDT]

Anybody here had any close calls as a jump pilot in choppers?

Nope - but I was bit fussy about experience levels of who I would allow to jump.
Jump masters and base jumpers seem to have a better appreciation of what can go wrong.
Last lot I ever dropped was into Sydney showgrounds each night during Easter show in the early 90's from an AS 350.
Plus 1 DOG and 1 Elvis Presley impersonator complete with lighting back when things made sense and "denial of responsibility" wasn't a meme!

[[email protected]]

I've only ever dropped military skydivers but we made sure any protrusions in the cabin were taped over to prevent snagging hazards.

I've had smoke pulled in the aircraft by an over-enthusiastic jumper but fortunately no canopy problems.

As far as the flying goes it is the sudden change in C of G, particularly lateral, as they leave the aircraft that can catch out the unwary.

[Unregistered_]

Bell 47
"DONT PUSH OFF",
"what...oh, yeah yeah, sure"
What do they do?

[aa777888]

USPA "D" license, jump master, and helicopter pilot, but never a jump pilot 🙂

There is a slightly interesting article here about halfway down the page:

https://skydiverdriver.com/articles.htm

And some other resources on that site. Mostly fixed wing stuff but relevant.

I'd bottom line it as follows: there are a lot more snag hazards on helicopters, and, obviously, the tail rotor is much more vulnerable to any misadventures than a fixed wing empennage. There will be a desire among your clientele for hovering exits, and for using the skids as monkey bars, plan appropriately.

[Two's in]

Also depends on how "compact and bijou" your jump platform is. On the Gazelle there was a role fit collective guard for para dropping, less of a need on the Lynx where we could pretend to be on a real flight deck away from the great unwashed.

[[email protected]]

less of a need on the Lynx where we could pretend to be on a real flight deck away from the great unwashed. except they loved to shuffle along the skids, knock on the cockpit window and then grin at you as they fell backwards into space!

[Hughes500]

In a Hughes 500 made the mistake of leaving P2 collective in ( remember left hand drive ) Jump master sitting in the front gave thumbs up to 3 in back to get on skids, he leans out then sits back down very quickly onto P2 collective.
Result an immediate autorotation, 3 jumpers fall off skids, an unexpected yaw and some very firm words with JM !!!!

[MightyGem]

except they loved to shuffle along the skids, knock on the cockpit window and then grin at you as they fell backwards into space!
Been there, done that. In the cockpit though, not on the skids! :eek:

[Cyclic Hotline]

Originally posted here way back in 2007.

NTSB Identification: FTW96LA110 .
The docket is stored in the Docket Management System (DMS). Please contact Records Management Division (https://www.ntsb.gov/info/sources.htm#pib)
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, February 03, 1996 in CUSHING, OK
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/17/1996
Aircraft: Bell 206B, registration: N2184Z
Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Uninjured.
After one of a group of five parachutists decided not to jump from the helicopter, he failed to deactivate a safety device designed to open his reserve parachute at a preset altitude.

As the helicopter descended through approximately 1,000 feet AGL, the reserve opened automatically and the parachutist was pulled from the helicopter. The parachute snagged on the skids of the helicopter and did not inflate fully. The parachutist was injured during his subsequent hard landing.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The inadvertent deployment of the passenger's parachute as a result of his failure to follow proper procedures and deactivate the automatic opening device on the parachute.

Full Narrative...........

On February 3, 1996, at 1530 central standard time, a Bell 206B, N2184Z, was descending near Cushing, Oklahoma, when the reserve parachute of a passenger deployed inside the helicopter. The helicopter was not damaged. The passenger sustained serious injury and the commercial pilot was not injured. The helicopter was being operated by Corporate Helicopters, Inc., under Title 14 CFR Part 91 on a local parachuting flight when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed.

According to statements provided by the pilot and the injured passenger, the helicopter departed Cushing Municipal Airport with five parachutists on board and climbed to 3,000 feet AGL. Four of the parachutists exited the aircraft while the fifth remained on board, choosing not to jump because he felt his hands were "too cold" to deploy his pilot chute. The remaining parachutist did not deactivate a safety device designed to automatically open his reserve parachute at a preset altitude. As the helicopter descended through approximately 1,000 feet AGL, the reserve opened automatically and the parachutist was pulled from the helicopter. The reserve canopy was ripped when it snagged on the skids of the helicopter and did not inflate fully. The parachutist "impacted the ground" and sustained a broken right femur.

[havick]

Not exactly on a jump run, but there was the B412 which took the head off someone in a field at one of the US free fall conventions.

[megan]

B412 which took the head off someoneBesides standing on stilts, how did that happen?

If you're flying jumpers make sure you wear a chute and know how to use it - mandatory in some places.

[aa777888]

Not exactly on a jump run, but there was the B412 which took the head off someone in a field at one of the US free fall conventions.
There's a lot of video of a 412 that regularly performs low level stunting with jumpers on board as part of the "experience" before heading up to altitude and jump run. Can't remember anyone being hit on the ground, though. Tried Googling it but my Google Fu must be weak on this one.

Was at the convention one time way back when it was held in Quincy, IL every year. They always had an amazing line up of unusual jump aircraft. Helicopters, balloons, open cockpit biplanes, and of course the 727 for the "DB Cooper" jump. The highlight for me was the jump we did (without O2 :}) from 17,000ft out of the last remaining Helio Stallion (which crashed a year or two later, no surprise). Phenomenal aircraft. That was back in <cough, cough, whatever> when skydiving was still a biker/bandit/outlaw sport and not the industry it is now. Got a taste for that high altitude stuff and later went on to do some legit jumps with O2 from 25Kft. Great stuff, I miss it a lot, but now me and the missus (she's a skydiver, too) just go air it out occasionally in the local vertical wind tunnel. Must concentrate on rotary wing op's, you know ;)

[havick]

There's a lot of video of a 412 that regularly performs low level stunting with jumpers on board as part of the "experience" before heading up to altitude and jump run. Can't remember anyone being hit on the ground, though. Tried Googling it but my Google Fu must be weak on this one.

Was at the convention one time way back when it was held in Quincy, IL every year. They always had an amazing line up of unusual jump aircraft. Helicopters, balloons, open cockpit biplanes, and of course the 727 for the "DB Cooper" jump. The highlight for me was the jump we did (without O2 :}) from 17,000ft out of the last remaining Helio Stallion (which crashed a year or two later, no surprise). Phenomenal aircraft. That was back in <cough, cough, whatever> when skydiving was still a biker/bandit/outlaw sport and not the industry it is now. Got a taste for that high altitude stuff and later went on to do some legit jumps with O2 from 25Kft. Great stuff, I miss it a lot, but now me and the missus (she's a skydiver, too) just go air it out occasionally in the local vertical wind tunnel. Must concentrate on rotary wing op's, you know ;)

Yah it’s the same 412 you’ve probably been watching the video of.

[havick]

Besides standing on stilts, how did that happen?

If you're flying jumpers make sure you wear a chute and know how to use it - mandatory in some places.

Hit someone on the ground.

[havick]

Here you go, found the article.Death arrives at free-fall fest





By JULIE WURTH

© 2002 THE NEWS-GAZETTE

Published Online August 4, 2002



RANTOUL – With thousands of jumps each day at the World Free Fall Convention in Rantoul, authorities had braced themselves for the possibility of one or even two sky-diving deaths. But not this. And not so soon.



On Friday night, during the first day of competition at the former Chanute Air Force Base, a Maryland man was killed videotaping his friend's sky-diving adventure when he apparently got too close to the helicopter as it was taking off. Timothy Kalendek, 32, of Joppa, Md., died instantly when he was clipped by the helicopter's rotor blades. He was pronounced dead at 8:27 p.m. of multiple traumatic injuries, said Bill Fabian, chief deputy coroner for Champaign County.



Fabian said Mr. Kalendek had a friend on board the helicopter and wanted to videotape his first ride. He had asked officials for permission to get close to the helicopter, but “for obvious reasons, they told him not to,” Fabian said. “He was trying to get some unique perspectives as the helicopter took off,” Fabian said.



According to witnesses, Mr. Kalendek stepped out of an adjacent cornfield into the path of the helicopter as it was taking off, officials said.



The nose dips down as the helicopter lifts off tail-first, and the pilot also made a turn at the same time, bringing the blades closer to the ground, said Coroner Roger Swaney. “The pilot takes off and basically puts the nose down and tilts the helicopter to go around the cornfields. The guy steps out and, bam, that's it,” Fabian said. “It just happened so fast that there's nothing that anybody could do about it. The helicopter pilot couldn't do anything. He was really shook up.”



Mr. Kalendek's brother-in-law was also videotaping the liftoff and caught the accident on camera, Fabian said. The helicopter was carrying a number of passengers, but it landed safely and no one else was injured, officials said. The accident occurred in a rather remote section of the landing zone, and there weren't many people nearby, said Rantoul Police Chief Paul Dollins.



Dollins said there were no indications that the helicopter malfunctioned, and Fabian said he was told the pilot is “very experienced.” The coroner's office, the Rantoul Police Department and the Federal Aviation Administration are all investigating the accident. “We're going to have to sort out precisely what happened,” Dollins said, noting that an inquest will be held. “It should have been an avoidable accident. Somebody erred.



“It's very, very unfortunate,” he said.The helicopter, one of several that take sky divers up for jumps, was grounded for the duration of the investigation, said convention spokeswoman Beth Mahlo. She declined to discuss the accident until the investigation is complete.



About 11 sky-diving deaths were associated with the convention during the 13 years it was held in Quincy before moving to Rantoul this summer, according to Mahlo. “This was not a sky-diving accident,” she emphasized. “We never expected this, and we didn't expect it so soon,” Fabian said of Friday's gruesome scene. Mr. Kalendek's friends contacted his fiance back in Maryland and other family members, Fabian said. They've since headed home.



Despite the accident, events continued as scheduled on Saturday. Swaney, who talked with a number of sky divers Saturday morning, said they hadn't heard much about the accident. “Mostly jumpers know safety and to stay away from things like this. They respect danger,” he said. “Sky divers are a realistic bunch of people,” Mahlo added. “They know they're involved in a dangerous sport. And while they mourn every accident, they're very careful to examine it and find out why it happened, what happened,” she said.



Dollins said there have been no other problems with the event so far.

[Arnie Madsen]

I wasn't there but read about it in Flying Magazine back in the 1980's

Sikorsky S55 dedicated to skydiving because of the large sliding door and roomy (walk around) passenger compartment .... pilot was up high and out of site of jumpers.

Briefing always included instructions to remain under the rotors for CofG purposes but this flight a couple jumpers exited and the remainder stayed in the back ..... including one timid diver who had gone up numerous times but was too chicken to jump and always came back down in the machine.

Pilot said full fwd cyclic would not solve the tail-low and he was getting close to losing control so he hit the emergency bail out button that flashed a sign in the pass compartment.

Pilot said heli leveled out and after he landed he saw even the chicken diver had jumped.

[ApolloHeli]

There's also this grizzly incident from way back when at Thruxton:
Novice Parachutist Killed in Fall Onto Helicopter BladesAugust 10, 1987ANDOVER, England (AP) _ A woman making her first parachute jump was killed Sunday when she fell into the swirling blades of a helicopter as she was landing, police said.

The helicopter, which had been hovering near the ground, was flipped onto its side by the impact, and the two men inside suffered minor injuries.

The woman, who was not identified, was one of five people from a parachute club taking part in a training drop at Thruxton airfield, near Andover, Hampshire, southwest of London.

″The helicopter was hovering a few feet above the ground when the woman parachuted down,″ said police Inspector John Dawson. ″Near the end of her descent, she went off course and landed on the helicopter.

″We have no idea why she went off course because a trainee before her carried out the exact same jump and landed in the designated area without any problems,″ he said.

In a second parachute accident Sunday, a disabled former paratrooper died when his chute failed to open as he made a sponsored jump for charity.

Adrian Rees, 31, who was partially paralyzed by a sports injury, fell to his death from about 2,000 feet at Langar Aerodrome, near Bingham, in Nottinghamshire, central England.

He had been making the jump to raise funds for fellow students at Portland College for the disabled, in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

[212man]

″We have no idea why she went off course because a trainee before her carried out the exact same jump and landed in the designated area without any problems,″ he said.

I remember that happening. It would be interesting to see how high the influence of the rotor induced airflow reaches and could affect a parachute descent path in light winds. I was once hover taxying behind another B212 and watched a buzzard get 'sucked' into the disc. It was flapping furiously but was unable to avoid being drawn in. It was actually the second of a pair - the first one 'disintegrated' (parts of which we collected on our windscreen!) and this one got hit at the shoulder, had a wing severed and was thrown across the apron, whereupon it hopped around furiously trying to avoid capture. I think it ended up in a stew!

[aa777888]

I remember that happening. It would be interesting to see how high the influence of the rotor induced airflow reaches and could affect a parachute descent path in light winds.It would not bother any parachute, round or ram-air. While the round parachutes were obviously much less maneuverable they do typically have steering vents and are trimmed to provide some forward motion. Both types are sufficiently steerable and have sufficient forward motion to avoid a helicopter running on the ground.

[slacktide]

https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20020806X01314&AKey=1&RType=HTML&IType=LA

https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/hitlist.cfm?docketID=33514&CFID=1697969&CFTOKEN=fcddb953882c7698-DC51BB07-5056-942C-9229D96AA5FEB4B5

Included, as part of this investigation is a thirteen second witness video recording of the accident on CD.

Copies can be obtained by contacting our Public Inquiries Branch:
National Transportation Safety Board
Public Inquiries Branch - RE-51
490 L'Enfant Plaza East, SW
Washington, DC 20594

I don't think I'll be doing that.

[malcfcook]

I've only ever dropped military skydivers but we made sure any protrusions in the cabin were taped over to prevent snagging hazards.

I've had smoke pulled in the aircraft by an over-enthusiastic jumper but fortunately no canopy problems.

As far as the flying goes it is the sudden change in C of G, particularly lateral, as they leave the aircraft that can catch out the unwary.

Long time ago, Scout 10,000 ft (ish) over Netheravon four freefallers. Third jump of the morning "can we all go together" sure say I expecting them to go the way they were sitting eg two either side, facing outwards. They had previously jumped in pairs one each side. simultaneously, what a mistake to make, as they suddenly huddled tightly together in the back and rapidly dispatched themselves in formation out the starboard side. Thin air massive lateral c of g change hmmm ILAFFT!!

Pre jump brief covered everything that could happen except what did. The Queen of the sky's was on my side that morning.

[roscoe1]

The bottom line is that you don't have to know anything about the aircraft from which you are jumping and too many jump pilots, that have not had the almost infinite range of mishaps under their belt, assume skydivers won't do something unexpected. I fly, used to skydive in my youth and once you've seen the aftermath of an unintentional canopy opening near an opened door at altitude, you have begin your education. More than a few people have died and caused airplanes to crash by being ripped through the side of a Cessna. I haven't heard of anything going through a tail rotor but that's probably just because helicopters are not ever the everyday jump ships. Be careful out there, other people may not be.

[aa777888]

There is no question that there is a much greater element of risk in these operations. You cannot control the jumpers and fly the aircraft. You have to trust that they will manage themselves and each other. And then there is the "**** happens" factor, and there is just so much more **** that can happen compared to more commonplace op's.

"Protect your pins and handles when moving about the aircraft" is what they train. It is drilled into you. And yet, after not a terribly long career as an active skydiver and jumpmaster, I have seen more than once containers accidentally opened in aircraft. Depending on the severity of the mess, most of the time these jumpers are moved as far from the door as possible and told to ride back with the aircraft. Very rarely I have seen containers reclosed by other jumpers.

The most scared I've ever been was on a Twotter load. I was last out with the last group, which meant I was having fun playing copilot. We sat, respectful of the CG, until the group ahead of us departed and, as we stood up and walked to the rear of the aircraft, I saw someone's pilot chute dragging on the floor behind them. I grabbed that person but he thought I was just taking grips for the exit and actually fought me to the door! At the moment he reached the door I saw the pilot chute flash by and I center punched him right out of the aircraft. Everything cleared the tail, the rest of us had an improvised formation dive, and he took a really long time to come down from 12,000 ft. Nobody had seen what was happening except me, including the dolt with the loose pilot chute.

Protecting pins and handles has to be next-level with helicopters. There is no corner to send someone to, no room to fix their ****, and the large openings are all too close to loose pilot chutes, bridles and canopies.

The opposite of this is, of course, balloons. Send your laundry over the side of the basket if you want ;)

[ShyTorque]

There's also this grizzly incident from way back when at Thruxton:
Novice Parachutist Killed in Fall Onto Helicopter BladesAugust 10, 1987ANDOVER, England (AP) _ A woman making her first parachute jump was killed Sunday when she fell into the swirling blades of a helicopter as she was landing, police said.

The helicopter, which had been hovering near the ground, was flipped onto its side by the impact, and the two men inside suffered minor injuries.

The woman, who was not identified, was one of five people from a parachute club taking part in a training drop at Thruxton airfield, near Andover, Hampshire, southwest of London.

″The helicopter was hovering a few feet above the ground when the woman parachuted down,″ said police Inspector John Dawson. ″Near the end of her descent, she went off course and landed on the helicopter.

″We have no idea why she went off course because a trainee before her carried out the exact same jump and landed in the designated area without any problems,″ he said.

In a second parachute accident Sunday, a disabled former paratrooper died when his chute failed to open as he made a sponsored jump for charity.

Adrian Rees, 31, who was partially paralyzed by a sports injury, fell to his death from about 2,000 feet at Langar Aerodrome, near Bingham, in Nottinghamshire, central England.

He had been making the jump to raise funds for fellow students at Portland College for the disabled, in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

I was based at Odiham at the time of that terrible accident. Thruxton used one side of the airfield for helicopter training and the other side for parachuting. If ever there was a case of “not if, but when”, this was probably it.

[Flyak]

My first trip in a helicopter was in a 500c as an observer in the early 80s on a jump drop at a major skydiving event in Australia. I was young and before my helicopter training. That sowed the seed for my aviation obsession...
Years later I dropped skydivers a few times. First drop as a young CPL-H over western Sydney from an Enstrom. Only 2 skydivers but good briefing by the chief pilot made the job easier. I agree, they (the skydivers) don’t listen, or follow instructions. Being ready to reduce collective and prepare for the roll left when the jumpers left the ship. REALLY important that they didn’t push off. My brief was very clear that they must just “fall” off the skid.

All went well but some 30 years later, that flight is still a clear memory.

[Ascend Charlie]

Oh, Flyak, you just brought back an awful memory for me.

Similar situation, a rotten old Enstrom, jumping out of western Sydney, and the horrible aircraft would refuse to start after the lads re-packed their chutes between jumps, the engine was still too hot. Only got 2 jumps in that day, it was too long between flights so I got sent home. I was quite happy about this because I hated and detested being in the Enstrom, rattly cheap-looking thing that couldn't even hold height if the turbo got a bit tired. Ptui!

[megan]

Back in the days of the round canopy and front mounted reserve had the reserve pins pop as I moved to the door of a C185, grabbed the canopy before it had a chance to spill from the container, repinned and jumped, but I still wonder the result had it gone out the door as I was sat in the rear left, modified airframe around the door at least, was the days before pilots wore chutes as well.

[Flyak]

Ascend!
You are too hard on the fine beast that is the Enstrom! My flight that day was in an F model I reckon, VH-IPE most likely. They all suffered in summer with not wanting to restart so not really great as a jump platform. Learned a lot of respect for the aircraft over the time though, in A, C and F models. I assume we may have flown the same ships....