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I've never really understood the pleasure that some people get from throwing themselves out of perfectly serviceable aircraft.
On the other hand I'm British. About the most exciting thing I can handle is a second biscuit with my cup of tea.
On the other hand I'm British. About the most exciting thing I can handle is a second biscuit with my cup of tea.
My sympathies are therefore drawn to the would-be skydiver in Oklohama in 1996 who decided the ground looked awfully far away today and that he would not be flinging himself out of the helicopter right now, thank you very much.
His actual excuse was that he thought his hands would be too cold to open the parachute, which adds a certain piquancy to what happened next.
You see, the parachute was rigged with a device that would throw the reserve chute at 1000 feet.
And as the helicopter descended past this height, the reserve chute made its grand appearance...
And as the helicopter descended past this height, the reserve chute made its grand appearance...
This wouldn't have been a problem.... except that - spotting the opportunity to fulfil its only purpose in life - the chute immediately shot out of the helicopter door.
Followed shortly afterwards by its reluctant owner.
Followed shortly afterwards by its reluctant owner.
To add injury to insult the chute briefly became tangled on the skids of the helicopter and failed to open fully.
The landing was therefore rather on the hard side and resulted in a broken leg. The hard landing despite, presumably, the best efforts of his bodily functions.
The landing was therefore rather on the hard side and resulted in a broken leg. The hard landing despite, presumably, the best efforts of his bodily functions.
And I'm sure the unfairness of all this happening because our hero was worried about not being able to open the parachute himself was met with a sympathetic reaction from everyone involved.
Lest you think I'm pulling your leg, here's the official summary. As an act of mercy the poor sod's name isn't recorded... https://www.accidents.app/summaries/accident/20001208X05243
