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Incidents

TomAiello
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Fatality, Kansas, United States, 29 December 2012
News Report

In reply to:
Kansas man killed in leap from 393-foot tower when parachute fails to deploy

By Associated Press
2:35 p.m. CST, January 4, 2013

MATFIELD GREEN, Kan. (AP) — Friends are mourning an eastern Kansas man who died in a leap from a 393-foot communication tower when his parachute failed to open in time.

The Emporia Gazette (http://bit.ly/Ws3fv5 ) reports a funeral is scheduled in Topeka for 50-year-old Frank Hubbell on Saturday, one week after his death.

Chase County Sheriff Richard Dorneker says Hubbell, of Tecumseh, died at the scene from the trauma of the impact. The accident happened in a rural area about seven miles east of Matfield Green.

Hubbell's brother, Bill Hubbell, told The Gazette his brother enjoyed the sport of BASE jumping and had done about 150 jumps. BASE stands for Building, Antennae, Span, Earth.

The sheriff said he was not aware of any other instance of someone jumping from the tower.


I do not have any information aside from press reports. I've seen two different dates in different reports, as well.
skydived19006
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Re: [TomAiello] Fatality, Kansas, United States, 29 December 2012
I'm not a BASE jumper, so don't know the term for leaving word and an "If I don't call, go look for me..." His brother didn't get a call. I understand that he was at or around line stretch at impact. Cold morning, could have been a slip, don't know that we'll ever know.

He was on staff at one of the Kansas DZs.

Martin
BillyMongilly
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Re: [skydived19006] Fatality, Kansas, United States, 29 December 2012
People with more guts than me. Hats off, and RIP.
gauleyguide
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Re: [TomAiello] Fatality, Kansas, United States, 29 December 2012
Hate to hear that. BSBD
sky4meplease
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Re: [gauleyguide] Fatality, Kansas, United States, 29 December 2012
Is there any more information on this?

P/C hesitation? Low pull? Hard to distinguish as it sounds like he was jumping solo.
TomAiello
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Re: [skydived19006] Fatality, Kansas, United States, 29 December 2012
skydived19006 wrote:
I'm not a BASE jumper, so don't know the term for leaving word and an "If I don't call, go look for me..."

I usually call that "virtual ground crew."

Do you know the actual date of the accident? I had heard a couple different dates.
nbblood
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Re: [TomAiello] Fatality, Kansas, United States, 29 December 2012
TomAiello wrote:
Do you know the actual date of the accident? I had heard a couple different dates.

It was 29 December.
gauleyguide
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Re: [skydived19006] Fatality, Kansas, United States, 29 December 2012
skydived19006 wrote:
...I understand that he was at or around line stretch at impact. Cold morning, could have been a slip, don't know that we'll ever know.

He was on staff at one of the Kansas DZs.

Martin

What makes you think he was at line stretch? Do you know if a BASE jumper looked at the gear after the fact? Sorry to hear about this.
skydived19006
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Re: [gauleyguide] Fatality, Kansas, United States, 29 December 2012
First on scene was a Senior Rigger. I think this is where that piece of info originated.

The authorities called a geographically convenient Master Rigger, that rigger wasn't comfortable with the situation so called another Master who is also a DPRE. They both were on site. I don't know that anything resulting from these two has been decimated.
sky4meplease
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Re: [skydived19006] Fatality, Kansas, United States, 29 December 2012
In reply to:
could have been a slip

Was there evidence that instability may have been a factor here?

These types of jumps are my bread and butter.

I'm curious if the riggers noticed anything that may help us understand what happened?

Any chance they (the riggers... sounds like there were three) may chime in here to help us out?