Re: [MBA-PATTO] Norway Fatality - 27/6/12
MBA-PATTO wrote:
From what i have heard is that he is on the canopy team, and this is not a base jumping afatality,
But who knows these days...
Dwain Weston's last jump was discussed on this forum too and it also started from an aircraft.
But while Jonathan started this jump from a helicopter, you can see from Ian Drennan's account above that he was proxy flying some gnarly lines -- at speeds and glide angles not much different than wingsuit proxy flyers, through the same kind of terrain.
Thus it may not qualify as a BASE fatality, but it's certainly a proxy fatality and thus relevant for this forum.
For example, this was Jonathan's
seventh proxy flight of the day, so it is legitimate to wonder if fatigue played a role.
I knew Jonathan and, like the rest of the PD teamers, he was there because he's really, really good -- stellar. Total natural. Total pro. Craftsman. Technician. Artist.
So how does he hit a tree and kill himself? To me, seven proxy flights in one day is high on the list of primary factors.
Skydiving takes energy. BASE jumping takes more energy. Proxy flying takes even more because the intensity is sustained.
Whether seven flights in one day is pushing it too much, I wouldn't presume to say, but one thing we might learn from this one is:
No matter how good you are, fatigue degrades your proxy-criticial mind and motor skills before you know you're tired, so it might be good to "fly on instruments" and just automatically add margin to your later jumps whether you feel tired or not.
I learned this lesson many winters ago as a downhill skier. There was always more carnage during the last hour of skiing than during the rest of the day, largely because people wanted to get in "one more run" -- and their minds and bodies weren't up to it and they crashed.
This applies to wing and wingsuit proxy flying too: It's never dumb to pass up the last run, or at least make it more leisurely.
44
P.S. FYI, Most and maybe all of the PD teamers are moderately experienced or better BASE jumpers, many of whom I've known for years. My heart goes out to them because these guys have been together for a decade or more and their love for each other is amply demonstrated in the actions of JC Colclasure.
