SAFETY BOARD RECOMMENDS IMPROVED AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE AND PILOT TRAINING FOR PARACHUTE JUMP OPERATIONS

[NTSB Press Releases <NTSBPressReleases@xxxxxxxx>]

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                      NTSB PRESS RELEASE
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National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2008
SB-08-38

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SAFETY BOARD RECOMMENDS IMPROVED AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE AND 
PILOT TRAINING FOR PARACHUTE JUMP OPERATIONS 


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The National Transportation Safety Board today released a 
special investigation report identifying several recurring 
safety issues with parachute jump operations, and 
recommending improvements in aircraft maintenance and pilot 
training.

Parachute jump operations represent a segment of U.S. 
general aviation that transports about 3 million 
parachutists annually.  Although the risks associated with 
parachuting are generally perceived to involve the acts of 
jumping from the aircraft, deploying the parachute, and 
landing, since 1980, 32 fatal accidents claimed the lives of 
172 people in airplane accidents unassociated with these 
parachutist-controlled risks.

"As this activity increases in popularity, we have to ensure 
that safe operations are adhered to by all operators," said 
Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker.  "Our recommendations in 
the areas of maintenance and training will move this 
industry forward in preventing these types of accidents."

The Special Investigation Report was prompted by the 
investigation of a July 29, 2006, de Havilland DHC-6-100 
crash in Sullivan, Missouri.  The aircraft, operated by 
Skydive Quantum Leap as a parachute operations flight, 
crashed after takeoff from Sullivan Regional Airport.  The 
pilot and five parachutists were killed and two other 
parachutists were seriously injured.  The Board determined 
today that the probable cause of the crash was the pilot's 
failure to maintain airspeed following loss of power in the 
right engine.  

The Board's study of parachute jump operations issued 
recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the 
United States Parachute Association (USPA) to address a pattern of
safety deficiencies in several areas:
*		Inadequate aircraft maintenance and inspections
*		Lack of pilot initial and recurrent training programs, 
and examination standards that address operation-
specific and aircraft-specific considerations
*		Inadequate FAA oversight and direct surveillance.
 
The Board concluded in the Sullivan investigation that more 
parachutists may have survived, and injuries may have been 
reduced, if more effective restraints had been used.   "This 
clearly emphasizes the importance of implementing our 
recommendations designed to increase survivability when an 
accident does occur," said Rosenker. 
 
As a result of the Sullivan investigation, the Safety Board 
made recommendations to the FAA and USPA regarding dual-
point restraint systems for parachutists that reflect the 
various aircraft and seating configurations used in 
parachute operations. 

A synopsis of the Board's reports, including the probable 
cause and recommendations, is available on the NTSB's 
website, www.ntsb.gov, under "Board Meetings." The Board's 
full report will be available on the website in several 
weeks. 
 
Media Contact: Keith Holloway, 202-314-6100












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