Skydiver survives 6,000ft fall without parachute

reply to post by DarksDeception


Fantastic video, thanks for sharing. That must have taken some serious guts. He claims to have broken the sound barrier duing the free fall........

reply to post by 0010110011101


Yeah, pretty awesome hey! He looked pretty roughed up when he was attended to after he landed.

It would be the most incredible thing to jump from the edge of space, but I don't think I would have the guts, even though I'm an adrenalin junky, lol.

My highest altitude jump was 15000 feet. This dude was nearly 103000 feet, wow. But there again, what a way to go! hmm, nah!

[edit on 19-5-2009 by DarksDeception]

Hi, everybody! I haven't posted in awhile....a very long while, lol. I'm not a pro, but I have a few jumps and I stay current with my ratings. So here goes....

Originally posted by deltaalphanovember
I can only assume he panicked, else he could have flared that baby and minimised his injuries.

He did not have time to unstow his brakes, let alone flare enough to make a difference.

Originally posted by DarksDeception
His canopy dip partially, if not fully opened before he hit the snow covered ground, so he was still very lucky.

Very true. A difference of 120mph with nothing over your head to about 40+- mph in his case with a partially/barely fully inflated canopy.

Originally posted by DarksDeception
What is crazy to me, is there is no way I would put my life in some other dudes hands to tell me when to pull the rip cord, lol.

Flying video like he was over the mountains, he should have had an audible alarm/altimeter.

DarksDeception, if you're ever in SoCal and you get your license hit me up, bro. We'll do some flying

Originally posted by 0010110011101
[The canopy is till deployed well before the video in the OP. What's the SOP for lowest opening altitude? Any paras on here?????

2500ft AGL is the standard "you must pull by" that is drilled into every skydiver's head from day one. However, canopies can open with much less altiude. I use an AAD (automatic activation device) that deploys my reserve at 750ft AGL if I happen to be lawn darting towards the earth. Anything lower than 750 and you're pushing your luck.

Originally posted by deltaalphanovember
Don't forget the type of chute as well. Different chutes for different applications. For Low Opening, you need a seriously quick brake!

There is no "quick brake". Jumpers flare for landing at only 10 feet above the ground. If someone can calculate pull at Xft + snivel altitude loss + unstow brakes = 10 feet off the ground, then they should be schooling NASA.

No canopy is made to pull at such a low altitude that you would need a "quick brake". BASE jumpers, who pull at very low altitudes, have time to unstow their brakes and safely land (most of the time). Also, BASE jumpers are not traveling at terminal velocity and require less altitude to fully inflate a canopy.

If he knew he was that low he should have pulled his reserve vice deploy his main canopy (a difference of about 300+- feet from the deployment bag leaving the container to full inflation). Check out the youtube vid, you can see that his canopy fully inflates, but just barely.

Youtube vid of Skydiving accident

EDIT: Whoa!!! I'm a bronze contributor! When did that happen? Are the Tres Amigos still runnin' this Star Trek Convention? I feel like I've been in a cryogenic sleep for 50 years.

[edit on 22/5/2009 by SportyMB]

[edit on 22/5/2009 by SportyMB]

Technically since he fell from that height, he could have survived a fall from much higher, because he reached terminal velocity. I guess he fell just right, I"m sure he still wishes his chute deployed...reminds me of an episode of King of the Hill You're actually much more likely to be less injured/survive a fall if you relax and don't tense up your muscles.

[edit on 23-5-2009 by yellowcard]