We had a tail strike today at the DZ where I jump. It occured in a Caravan. It involved an experienced jumper doing an exit with several other jumpers. He was wearing a Birdman suit. For those not familiar, the Birdman utilizes a large area of webbing between the legs, and between the arms and torso. It allows the jumper to execute some unique maneuvers and greatly reduces fall rate. It also reacts very differently to the relative wind on exit.
In this particular case, because of the capabilities of the suit, the other jumpers on the stick has already left, and these jumpes asked to go father upwind for a cross-country track back to the DZ. The pilot accomodated them by adding power and continuing upline for the drop. The jumpers called for a cut and exited, but failed to wait for the cut and for the aircraft to reestablish it's jump attitude. Between the exit used, and the increased relative wind caused by the prop blast, the Birdman suit provided a great deal more lift than the jumper antitipated. He did not exit downward as planned, but climbed as he released his grip on the door, and then moved aft in the prop blast. He struck the horizontal stab with his right ankle.
Fortunately he survived, and endured no breaks (but a helluva bruise). Fortunately the damage was confined to some bent metal on the leading edge; fairly insignificant. However, it could have been different. A great deal of discussion took place at the DZ today, and the general consensus was that the jump pilot needs to brief the jumpers about the particulars of waiting for the cut before exiting, and about needing to fall clear before "getting big" with high drag devices such as the Birdman suit.
We determined it would have been much more advantageous to exit in a track position with the arms down, such as a diving position, before opening up once clear of the aircraft.
Additionally, a factor of exiting in a climb involves the horizontal stab being lower in relation to the door, than in a level or descending attitude. Much preferable when putting out such jumpers is to have a good engine cut, and to level or begin a descent; get the tail has high as possible.
This comes on the heels of the recent death of a jumper in the Eastern US, who also experienced a tail strike (and also on a Caravan, I believe).
Just a heads up from a jumper who would prefer not to see this again.
In this particular case, because of the capabilities of the suit, the other jumpers on the stick has already left, and these jumpes asked to go father upwind for a cross-country track back to the DZ. The pilot accomodated them by adding power and continuing upline for the drop. The jumpers called for a cut and exited, but failed to wait for the cut and for the aircraft to reestablish it's jump attitude. Between the exit used, and the increased relative wind caused by the prop blast, the Birdman suit provided a great deal more lift than the jumper antitipated. He did not exit downward as planned, but climbed as he released his grip on the door, and then moved aft in the prop blast. He struck the horizontal stab with his right ankle.
Fortunately he survived, and endured no breaks (but a helluva bruise). Fortunately the damage was confined to some bent metal on the leading edge; fairly insignificant. However, it could have been different. A great deal of discussion took place at the DZ today, and the general consensus was that the jump pilot needs to brief the jumpers about the particulars of waiting for the cut before exiting, and about needing to fall clear before "getting big" with high drag devices such as the Birdman suit.
We determined it would have been much more advantageous to exit in a track position with the arms down, such as a diving position, before opening up once clear of the aircraft.
Additionally, a factor of exiting in a climb involves the horizontal stab being lower in relation to the door, than in a level or descending attitude. Much preferable when putting out such jumpers is to have a good engine cut, and to level or begin a descent; get the tail has high as possible.
This comes on the heels of the recent death of a jumper in the Eastern US, who also experienced a tail strike (and also on a Caravan, I believe).
Just a heads up from a jumper who would prefer not to see this again.
