diverdriver

Conveniently the photos have fanished from the web address you yourself saw John. However, there are copies out there. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

If I remember correctly, that one was absolutely due to a maintenance deficiency. I heard a talk by the NTSB investigator on that accident a couple years ago... I'm pretty sure the airline hadn't been lubricating the jackscrew properly.... Or something like that. Dave They used an greese that was not approved. It led to the failure. What contributed to the accident was the crews continued use after it was known to have failed causing the stabilizer to come completely off the jack screw thus loosing control of the aircraft. So there are two aspects to that accident. What the company did and how the pilots reacted to it. So, if a company doesn't want to find out how their pilots will react to any abnormality it is advisable that the company do things straight forward and not screw around to save a buck. http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001212X20339&key=1 A pilot should never run out of altitude, airspeed or ideas at the same time. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

It seems the FAA thinks that the AC ended up on it's back in a field, and has listed the damage as substantial. Maybe you or the DZO should call them and make sure they have their facts straight (or check your own facts, or whatever). I've seen the photos. This most certainly is not a taxi incident. If the DZO truly told this person such a story they are lying through their teeth. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

In the USA FAR 105 says we have to have communication with ATC at least 5 minutes prior to commencing drop operations. Then usually the jump pilot will make a two minute call and a jumpers away call. Then they will check off with ATC on the way down unless there is some need to keep them on for traffic avoidance or maybe if they notice a high deployment they weren't expecting. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Self appointed whistle blower. Well, I guess that title fits. Can't argue that. Is it "self appointed" or is "take charge"? Am I "zealous" or am I "passionate". I like to view myself as the latter on both respects. If not me then who? If not now then when? I can't tell you how many people told me I should write a book about flying jumpers. Maybe they just saw that I like talking about it and the safety aspect (risk management). I didn't think I could write a book so it was suggested that I do a website that could be updated and altered to stay relevent. That's the route I took. My motivation comes from loosing 5 friends in a 206 accident in 1998. I had left that operation after 3 forced landings in 4 months. I told a friend at my new dz job that my old dz would have a fatal plane crash within a year. I told others why I left. It was no secret. Within 11 months my friends were dead. I saw it coming and I feel guilt that I did not do what was needed to prevent it. So I vowed to speak out and speak my mind on the subject of how I saw things going. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

A King Air having the landing gear ripped off riding in on the wing usually means the wing is bent. That would be substantial damage. A 182 flipping over in a field bending the fire wall and wing strut would be substantial damage. Both requiring NTSB notification which can start with a call to the FAA. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

My motivation : http://www.diverdriver.com/Accidents/accidents.htm We repeat the same tired mistakes over and over and over. This industry does not learn. A realistic accounting of accidents in this industry that has held its head under the sand way too long. I hold up the mirror. You don't like the reflection then do something to change it. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Wally! Congratulations to you and your daughter's family! Great news! Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Was that an ASOS station he snagged on? Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Forest told me about his 182 with wingtop entensions and increased gross weight. Don't remember the specific numbers. But he had a deal where one of the wings seperated from the wing strut and he damn near crashed the thing. It jammed the aelerons. He said the FAA was looking into making an AD for them to strengthen the wing. Not sure what happened with it all and that conversation took place back in Spring of 1999. I'm sure it's been dealt with since. Anyhow...all things to consider. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

More power DOES mean more fuel flow. You have to burn more fuel to make more power. The advantage is that you get to altitude faster so you can turn more loads in a day. Disadvantage is that the installation of the bigger engine costs more and if you don't keep it running all day then you can't really turn more loads per day with it. However, when you consider that jumpers want faster and higher it might be an advantage even if it doesn't run all day because you haven't lost your customer base to another dz running bigger and faster. Cost of doing business. Yes, there are 182s with 300BHP engines on them. The Green Machine at Forest McBride's place comes to mind. It had speed breaks on it too! Awesome plane. I've even seen video of a 180 (tail dragger 182) with a small turboprop (not turbocharged) on it. Really, REALLY bad ass. It all comes down to "how much money you got and how much money you willing to spend to go fast?" Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

John, so you didn't call me a snitch. Ok. Put calling anyone who has a safety concern that gets the safety regulator involved to see if it's really a problem is snitching? Come on. You want to wait until the facts are know but how can they be known if no one reported it? Exactly. I also know that the NTSB can take a month or two to come out with a prelim report. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the FAA daily intake. (I have several search sites) and I keep tabs on things John. And there has been nothing between the two reporting agencies. Hence my asking questions here. I can't hang anyone unless they give me the rope with which to do it. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

So feel free to call the NTSB and snitch on them. Maybe a preliminary report is already in the works, and just hasn't been published yet. Have you considered that possibility? Snitch. Great John. Thanks for the name calling. Maybe I'm hoping the DZ will act with integrity and do the right thing. They crashed it. They can deal with it. See, I don't go running to the FAA right away. I do try to get people to do the right thing themselves. If a prelim report is in the works and the FAA has already been contacted then why don't they say so? The silence is deafening. It doesn't take much to get a FAA prelim report. They update their website daily with bare bones information. Had that come across I'd feel more confident that someone did report it. But nothing is out there. Hence my questioning things here. Do you see anyone coming on here saying nothing happened? Nope. So let's call a spade a spade. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Yes, we do judge others. That's called "self-policing" which we are expected to do. Sorry if reality is not to your liking but Ted's own actions lead to his unfortunate demise. To sugar coat the lesson AND reminder would not serve others well. Ted exhibited at least 4 of the 5 bad attitudes for flying. This is not just a skydiving thing it's a flying thing and many aviators before him have perished due to the same problems. Ted's legacy at least on this forum is that he was warned and then what he was warned about happened. It's not like saying I know there's going to be a car accident on the highway and then days later one happens and we say "see! see!" This is a matter of "this driver will get himself into a situation where raw luck will not get him out of because he does not listen to reasoned information." The accident happens with THIS particular driver and then we say "see, I told you so." Sad but true. I'm sure he was a nice guy. I'm sure he made you smile and laugh. I'm sure he donated his time to good causes. But as a pilot, he had serious problems. People tried to tell him about those serious problems. And he did not listen and so he got himself killed. Period. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Are minor incidents required to be reported? If so, what is the time limit? Can't minor incidents be reported on the NASA ASRS as an alternative? What I'm told is that two jumpers were injured requiring them to go to the hospital. According to NTSB 830 that has to be reported to the NTSB immediately basicly. That is not a minor incident. And even incidents have to be reported if they fall into a certain list. Every pilot should know that. And every DZO should be made to know that. Snapping a nose gear off ususally involves bending the firewall to some degree and that alone would warrant a report to NTSB. But I can't imagine the tail being tweaked could be considered "minor" either. NASA ASRS is for inadvertant deviations from the FARs. While they didn't intend to flip a 182 on the roof I'd say that's outside the pervue of the NASA program. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

No, that accident is from Coupland, Tx, which is a different dropzone than Texas Skydiving Center in Lexington. Oh, well it was on a ferry flight from Lexington to Coupland and arrived after dark. With no landing light. And crashed. Thought it might be the one. The timing was right. So should I look for another report? Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

[Best suthin babtist drawl] That sir...is a continuing subversion of nature's desiiiignnn.[/] How in the hell do you learn to fly like that? That was just SICK!!

I believe you are refering to the DZ that had this ferry flight accident last year: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20060627X00822&key=1 Hmmm... funny there is no report with the FAA or NTSB. So it hit and nosed over? I can't see that happening without causing substantial damage. Hope the DZ reported it because if the FAA / NTSB finds out long after the fact there is hell to pay. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Lexington. What is the DZ name there and does anyone know the tail number of the aircraft they use? Do they have a website with photos of the plane(s)? Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

That's what I'm trying to find out. The details. Some people know. Just wondering when something official will come out since it sounds like an Accident according to NTSB 830. Felt that posting this in Incidents right away wasn't appropriate yet but I'm looking for anyone who knows more. Anyone can PM and I will keep it in confidence. Just wondering if this was reported to the FAA/NTSB since I haven't seen any report come across yet. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Ok, something happened. Need more info. Nothing across FAA or NTSB but I'm getting "reports". I was told 2 injured jumpers on board. Out with it folks. On or about July 8th to 10th in Texas. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

I don't have time to look it up right now but someone could look through my list of jump plane accidents at http://www.diverdriver.com/Accidents/accidents.htm. I recently updated it for number of accidents per year and number of fatalities per year too. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

One person has claimed that the aicraft in question was taken to the hangar. It was put on jacks. And the same problem was replicated the first time. Down three green and no gear movement. Kinda scary really. Damn glad that something didn't sit right with the crew and they decided to initiate the go-around just as they were about to touchdown. All jungle jet drivers are probably sitting a bit uneasy over this one. Hope they find the issue really quick. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

I've seen the video of the King Air stall in the UK. I believe that having jumpers in the tail of the aircraft while other jumpers moved out to floating positions very strongly contributed to that stall. What the actual speed of the jump run was I don't know. What did the pilot say he was flying at and what had he been told to fly at? What power settings was he told to fly at and what did he actually fly at? But most certainly the one jumper in the tail who grabbed another jumper when he felt the stall coming on actually exacerbated the situation by pulling the jumper TO THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. Not good. He certainly knew something was coming on and was trying to signal to the jumpers on the outside to go and go quickly. However, it seems they were waiting for their group member to join them in the door. Jumpers should be reminded not to get tunnel vision. That's easier said then done though. You're not expecting someone not in your group to start wildly waiving their arm. A more obvious and situation altering action like leaving the plane himself instead of grabbing the other jumper would have caused the group to possibly go earlier and keep the situation from getting out of hand. If you are climbing on the outside of the plane and you suddenly feel some buffeting or you feel light on your feet this may be your only warning of the onset of a stall. It may require you to immediately leave the aircraft. If you are going to have rear floaters you MUST first get people out of the rear cabin area aft of the door so that the total CG shift is first FORWARD then AFT. This climb out the CG just kept getting more and more aft with dead weight (two jumpers in the far tail) still inside. That's my opinion. I also read on the UK boards that the video shows that the plane never leveled off and was still nose up. How do they suppose that? I couldn't say that from the one POV video uploaded to the skydiving video website. Just because you can see the top of the horizontal stabilizer doesn't mean he's still in a climb attitude. It means the jumper wearing the camera is tall enough to see over the horizontal stab. That's all. There are clouds in the background and no horizon is really discernable until fully into the stall and the jumpers fall off the aircraft. I am really interested in hearing what the pilot was trained to do and what he says he actually flew during that run. Maybe the training needs to be looked at. Maybe the pilot did mess up. But I believe there's a bit of blame to go around. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

May have been a message on the CAS (Crew Alert System). There are usually two computers (some times 3) that constantly compare information with each other. Apparently there was something that didn't agree and they noticed the message at some point. Most common message I see in the CRJ is "EFIS COMP MON". Which is Engine and Flight Information System Compare Monitor and the headings between the CA and FO side disagree. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125