Death in Texas

[skreamer 1]

I agree with Anonymous nr.2 - it wasn't a number of little things, it was one big thing. I have never jumped in a large formation, but even to my novice mind the problem here was that the two planes were dangerously positioned when the jumpers disembarked. What other *little* things contributed to this?
I feel really sorry for her kids who have to come to terms with this and deal with growing up without a mother.
Will

[Dutchboy 0]

Quote

I feel really sorry for her kids who have to come to terms with this and deal with growing up without a mother.

Two of her three children would often hang out at the DZ here in Georgia. Thank God they weren't with her in Texas when this happened.
There will be a memorial jump for her this Saturday at Skydive Atlanta. The DZO's have asked those who intend to participate to call the DZ at (800)276-3483.
The Dutchboy
http://www.geocities.com/ppolstra

[TBone 0]

Hey, guys, slow down a bit.
We don't know yet who is responsible, or what factors led to the accident. We only have some snipits of information from a few folks who were there.
Let's not start indicting people who probably already are pretty broken up over this.
Our hopes and prayers go out to Michelle's family, friends, and everyone else touched by this tragedy.

[SkyFlyer 0]

I jumped with her at the GSL meet two weeks ago and I'm definitely keeping her family and friends in my prayers...

[Deleted 0]

What a horrible tragedy in San Marcos last weekend. I spent a day jumping with Michelle at Skydive Texas a few weeks ago. She was not only a delightful person to be around, she was clearly an accomplished skydiver.
I also found some of the postings regarding this matter a bit disheartening and self serving. Skydivers routinely take responsibility for their own safety, sign the waiver, and trust the professionals around them to keep their head in the game. For anyone to claim that the FAA has already done an investigation, determined that no one is at fault, and that this is simply an accident is absurd. I've always believed that 99% of what other people refer to as an "accident" is actually an error in judgment. This tragedy was no accident, regardless of how the FAA defines it. Any experienced skydiver knows the dangers associated with losing track of other people in the air. If two airplanes flying in formation lost track of each other, we're all fortunate that there was only one fatality.
It is not my intention to add to the grief of the pilot flying the trail plane. He had a difficult assignment, and had much more to keep track of than just the other airplane. At the same time, if we stick our head in the sand and pretend that this was just an unavoidable, no-fault accident, we are domed to repeat it.
Does anyone know who Michelle's children will be living with? Is there anything that we can do to help them out? I realize it may be premature to ask these questions, but I hope somebody in a position to know will post that information here, or hang onto my email address for when that information is available.
Dave
AirDave001@Yahoo.com

[TBone 0]

Not "head in the sand", but neither "rush to judgement".
Carl

[skreamer 1]

Why don't you guys who met her or knew her tell us about her? What was she like? What were her likes/dislikes? What did she do for a living? What interests did she have outside of skydiving?
Its all fine and well us saying the generic 'condolences to family and friends', but we never knew her. So please tell us about her, tell us why she will be missed.
Will

[Dutchboy 0]

I did not know her very well. I had spoken to her on several occassions and been on loads with her many times. Here husband has been skydiving for something like 20 years, is a rigger, tandem master (thousands of tandem jumps), and aircraft mechanic. They had three children together, the oldest a boy, and two girls. The girls often hang out at the DZ and pack and just play with the other kids. She and her husband were recently divorced (with last six months).
Michelle worked for Lockheed. As a matter of fact, my next door neighbor used to work for her till she was promoted and transfered to Texas.
She was an accomplished skydiver and jumped on the team Relax. I remember she spoke about flying back to Georgia for GSL meets with her team. She was generally a very upbeat person.
I'm sure that those who knew her better can tell you much more about her.
The Dutchboy
http://www.geocities.com/ppolstra

[ramon 0]

I'm sure debate will last a long time on this incident.
Aside from obeying FAA regulations we pretty much look after our own. We sign enough waivers to put fault or blame mostly on our selves..whose to blame if you hook it in against advice and training..or pull within cypress fire altitude and experience entaglement.
Cases like this warrant speculation by seasoned jumpers and pilots, waivers often clear buisinesses and individuals from chance incidents but they should not clear a conscience from a mistake.
We police our own and if there is any blame for a fatality (I'm not saying there is), but it should be discussed openly and in a mature manner. Accusations are unfair and uncouth but hurt feelings are not as important as living to see blue skies another day.
How do you think every rigger feels when a no-pull happens.
Complacency is not limited to our personal gear.
BSBD
ramon

[monkeybot 0]

I met Michelle at Skydive Texas a few weeks ago. She was looking for a new home DZ. We welcomed her with open arms. I introduced her to everybody I knew. She was real nice, upbeat and laid back. We jumped, hanged out and the next day I met her at Skydive Dallas. We were already talking about putting a team together for next year. She had to leave early that day and I couldn't say goodbye. I wish I had.
We will miss you.
Jaime

[mouth 0]

OK here is the deal. Michele was 36 or 37 ( I can't rember if I got older or she did). She had been married to Perry for roughly 18 years. She has a son who is in college who was remaining with her brother in Atlanta. She and Perry have two daughters who are DZ rugrats. The youngest one knows more about a parachute than lots of the old timers. Michele and Perry recently divorced and she was looking to move on with life.
If I remember correctly she had around 900 jumps, and had competed in the GSL last year and was on Team Relax this year. She was a very heads up skydiver who taught me lots. Michele was honored as the Most Improved Skydiver for 2000. When I was looking for a rig she was so gracious to leave one of her rigs at the DZ for me to use. Rides to altitude were entertaining with Michele as she would walk through the dive with her eyes closed in full concentration. I would watch her and couldn't help but smile because she was so engrossed in doing her best in her hobby. Michele loaned me a jumpsuit when I was looking to purchase a new one and wasn't sure if I wanted booties or not she said go get it. To some of you this may not seem like a big deal, but to me it was since I was voted the most likely to ruin a jumpsuit during my first 6 months of skydiving. She and her then husband took me out for my first jump after my solos. We even joked about how nervous I was on that jump the weekend before she left. Then we laughed heartily about the fact that I joined a pick up team for the GSL the previous weekend.
After the divorce she was looking to get on with life. She worked hard to be accepted in her engineering field which was evident in the job offer in Texas. When she told me about the job offer in Texas she was nervous but also excited. She told me of her visit and how she had had such a good time jumping out there. She still planned on competing in the GSL and we had already planned flight times so that she could stay at my house when she returned. We had also talked about my coming out to Texas to visit since I used to live there and maybe together we could find some excitement and relieve some of the loneliness that would be sure to follow the move. I hate looking at my datebook now but can't bring myself to erase any of it yet.
When we got the news at the DZ Sunday everyone was shocked. We found out as we were boarding the plane but nothing was conclusive so during the ride up I dismissed it as someone else because the news was that her boyfriend jumped out after her and put her under canopy. Because I knew the guy she was dating I realized that was not a possibility so it couldn't be her. Michele couldn't be gone because on my calendar I had noted that she would arrive back in Atlanta on June 7 and come down for the night then we could go to the GSL meet on the 8th and spend the night so she would be fresh for the meet on the 9th. When I walked into the hanger I realized I had fooled myself...she was gone. As I packed halfheartedly I finally had to turn around and put my back to Michele's gear box to finish packing because I realized she would never sit there and socialize with us again. There would be no more hugs or Happy Monday emails from her.
I am thankful that she decided to leave the girls with their father while she settled in so they were not there to witness the accident. I can't even begin to imagine how my daughters would have reacted to seeing me under a partially inflated canopy falling to the ground. I don't know if she was able to deploy her main, but I understand that someone did actually pull her reserve but that it didn't inflate properly due to damage caused by the prop blades. (Thank you Tony for that effort.) Thank God they did not witness that horror. I'm sure it will be impressed in the minds of all who did witness it.
Michele always had her girls with her at our DZ if it was her weekend with them. You would often find her talking and laughing with one of them. I am going to assume they will live with their father who is still in the Atlanta area although he no longer jumps at our DZ. The DZ is like the girls second family so I hope they will be allowed to visit some.
I regret not going out in Atlanta the last Saturday we were together like we had planned. I regret not telling her how much I loved and admired her as a friend and a skydiver before we parted. I regret not thanking her more for her encouragement to continue skydiving.
Yes, we want to know what happened and if it could have been prevented...not to place blame but to understand. I trust that no matter who is at fault (and I'm not placing blame) that something good will come from this tragedy. I read where lots of "little" things are at fault. The bottom line is she is gone. Nothing anyone does whether it be place blame, accept fault, or simply feel miserable will bring Michele back to us. So what can we do to keep it from happening again? What can be learned from this event that can be applied to other large formation dives that can prevent it from happening again? Only those who were there and understand what exactly happened can answer that for the rest of us.

[Brokeneagle 0]

Mouth speaks for us all; we grieve as a family...we are grateful for your help in finding out who to thank; for your kindnesses in sharing what happened, Ramon and Hotload, Tony for your courageous and valiant efforts, and the rest of our skydiving family,YOU, for your thoughts and condolences and encouragement-- we will give your words to the family.... thank you so much, my friends, for your help....

[flyingferret 0]

This poem was posted a long while ago, when the Aggies over Texas were mourning the loss of their family. While this tragedy is still too recent to move on, I thought these words might comfort some.
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there,
I do not sleep
I am the thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints on snow
I am the sunlight on ripened grain
I am the gentle Autumn rain
When you awaken in the mornings hush
I am the swift up-flinging of birds in circling flight
I am the soft star that shines at night
Do not stand at my grave and cry
I am not there
I did not die
Author unknown
Malachi

[Donna 0]

What a wonderful post, Mouth. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. My deepest sympathies.
Blue 1111,
D

[Deleted 0]

I, too, have a poem to share. This was given to me when I lost my cousin almost two years ago. He died in a plane crash unrelated to skydiving. However, he was an awesome skydiver and unknown to him, he gave me the courage to be the skydiver I am today. This poem gives me comfort when I think about him and I only hope it provides comfort to some of you, too.
LIFT UP YOUR HEART
Don't grieve for me,
for now I'm free.
I could not stay another day
to laugh, to love, to work or to play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way.
I've found that peace at the close of the day.
If my parting has left a void,
then fill it with remembering joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss
all these things I too shall miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life's been full, I have savored much,
good friends, good times, a loved one's touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief
don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me
for now, my friends, I am truly free.
Author Unknown

[lazerq3 0]

My thoughts also go out to all that new her and jumped with her

[Deleted 0]

For all the sorrow that will be felt keep her dreams alive through her children. Losing one's Mother at any age is tragic, when young it hurts that much longer. Take time to help them remember not the tragedy but the joy their Mom brought to this world

[Billy 0]

My Prayers go out for all of you who were fortunate enough ta have met this wonderful lady, and especially the children who will miss her... I agree with not placing blame,, I'm sure the pilots etc are just sick over this,, but we also need ta know what happend exactly or ya were goona see it happen again,, and Michelle doesn't sound like the kind of person who would want that ta happen! I can envision some scenarios that caused it,, but will wait for the facts,, learn from them,, and do what I can ta make the sport safer for those I jump with,, some of my friends were at San Marcos not long ago,, one did his first tandem, another got his SCR,, they spoke very highly of the quality of everyone there and just loved how friendly and accepting ya'll were,, I'm sure Michelle wouldn't want any negative energy focused on anyone and would rather we learn and JUMP SAFE!! Ya'll have a good jump in Atlanta and let us know how it goes,,,
Hugs,,,
Billy

[littlewing52 0]

May the Lord be with her friends and family.
-Littlewing

[mouth 0]

Thanks Billy...we understand that the girls will be at the Memorial Dive. Hopefully her son will also make it. Pray that all goes well.

[mouth 0]

FlyingFerret and Annonymous...may I share the poems at the memorial?
Lisa

[froggie 0]

Quote

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there,
I do not sleep
I am the thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints on snow
I am the sunlight on ripened grain
I am the gentle Autumn rain
When you awaken in the mornings hush
I am the swift up-flinging of birds in circling flight
I am the soft star that shines at night
Do not stand at my grave and cry
I am not there
I did not die

To michelles family and friends, to those who jumped with her and to those who jumped thru her, My thoughts and prayers are with you all. The sorrow we feel from the loss of michelle is great, and we can only hope that we can offer you, her friends, our comfort.
To flyingferret,
Thankyou for posting that poem. It takes me back to the time when that was on the mass card for somebody i loved and lost. Its a powerful poem, one that truely does apply to this situation as it did mine. To see words that describe so perfectly what it is all about.... just keep repeating it. repeat it until you dont even have to think of it to say it. The comfort will come.. and the winds will blow, the snow will fall, the autum rain will fall, and it will always seem to happen as you are saying this poem. I cant tell you how many times ive stared at my cousins gravesite and cried this poem, only to say "and Im am the thousand winds that blow" and a huge gust arises.... it seems that everytime i say it, when im there, some parts of the poem comes true... The words are that powerful. I hope you can all feel michelles presance as you say these words. Shes out there, ready to let you know how very close she truely is...
Im sorry for your loss.
kel
Edited by froggie on 5/29/01 09:13 PM.

[Deleted 0]

For all those who said anything negative/speculating about the jump, the planes involved, pilots, high-wing/low-wing non-pilot flying advice, or with whom the fault lies I only have one thing to say--stop making things worse! Every negative comment/thought/assumption/accusation on this site came from someone who was NOT there. If you don't know what you're talking about, quit feeding the fire. However, I'm sure that everyone involved and/or concerned appreciates all the positive wishes made from the others.

[Iflyme 0]

Quote

For all those who said anything negative/speculating about the jump, the planes involved, pilots, high-wing/low-wing non-pilot flying advice, or with whom the fault lies I only have one thing to say--stop making things worse!

Nobody here is trying to make things worse. And nobody is trying to accuse anyone. I live in a different country, and did not know Michelle or anyone who she jumped with or anyone who even jumps in the same state she did. But I feel a loss... and I think this forum is a place where we skydivers can share our feelings about this horrible event - whatever those feelings may be... and perhaps we can learn something, and prevent it from happening again. While it is an awful subject, we NEED to discuss this - because we all live by this sport - and some of our comrades will die in the sport. I feel nothing but sorrow for everyone involved, but I DO want to understand what happened, and from what I've read here, I feel I have learned about some of the risks involved in big-way formation jumping.
Goodbye Michelle...
Frank

[Deleted 0]

Since you don't want anyone talking about it that wasn't there obviously you were, so what gives? Tell us what happened. No blame placed just the facts.