Fatalities of skydiving (right section?)

[jumpslo 0]

Hi. I am very very new to the sport of skydiving, infact I haven't made a jump yet, but im planning on doing AFF at the end of this summer. I'm not quite sure if this is in the right section, but was reading an article that talked about collisions and read a couple facts about life expectancy. something like 3 years or 150 jumps is the average? Then again some later time. And it got me thinking. . What are most of these fatalities or injuries due to? Is is that after that amount of jumps people tend to switch to a smaller chute and start doing more swooping? Is it because people get into more 3,4,5+ ways? Are they just freak accidents and non-openings? If someone jumps solo and stays with a big begginer chute and doesn't swoop are they less likely to have an accident?

I'm sorry if I have a lot of questions and I know im complete whuffo, but I was really stoked to start AFF until I started looking at some of the statistics. And I know it's a dangerous sport and thats also one of the reasons people come back to it, because of the rush. But i was just curious on why some of these fatalities happen? Any advice, criticism, or help would be greatly appreciated and thanks!

"Good rule of thumb; is what you are doing the EASIEST for You? Because if it is, it ain't going to work for the people around you."

[phoenixlpr 0]

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read a couple facts about life expectancy. something like 3 years or 150 jumps is the average?

Give up? Burn out? Injure? Die?

I don't know data about AFF, but with SL training only 2-5% of students get skydiving license. Most of them giving up after the first jump....

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What are most of these fatalities or injuries due to?

USPA has these king of statistics. It is usually published in some skydiving magazine too.

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If someone jumps solo and stays with a big begginer chute and doesn't swoop are they less likely to have an accident?

You have a significantly greater danger here: get addicted and spend all your spare money and free time on skydiving.

Think again! This is not a thing dieing in, its living for...

[beowulf 1]

I don't know where you read that, but who ever wrote that doesn't know what they are talking about. Go to a dropzone and ask to talk to an instructor. They will give you a much more reliable information.

[IanHarrop 42]

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an article that talked about collisions and read a couple facts about life expectancy. something like 3 years or 150 jumps is the average?

Don't believe everything you read. With millions of skydives done every year the number of fatalities would be very high if it was 1 for every 150 jumps. The number of fatalities each year is usually under 30 in the USA or under 60 for the entire world.

I think I recall the number being around 1 fatality for every 100,000 skydives.

I am open to correction on that.

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[PhreeZone 20]

A good place to start learning about the most recent fatalities is http://www.dropzone.com/fatalities/ Craig Poxon maintains www.skydivingfatalities.info that contains info on incidents going back to the mid-90's so its a really good way to look at trends over time.

The average "life" of a jumper has nothing to do with them dieing. It has to do with how long they are "in" the sport. People come and people go but there are few people that are around for long lengths of time and make lots of jumps. Most people who start don't make thousands of jumps, instead they quit before they get a few hundred.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[DJL 235]

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...but was reading an article that talked about collisions and read a couple facts about life expectancy. something like 3 years or 150 jumps is the average?

This is cute.

What you read was someoneone's statement about how long people usually stay in the sport, not how long before the average skydiver dies.

Don't worry, there are many people (in relative terms) with over 10,000 skydives and they're still alive and doing 100-way RW jumps and 100-way CRW jumps.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[jlmiracle 7]

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but was reading an article that talked about collisions and read a couple facts about life expectancy. something like 3 years or 150 jumps is the average?

This almost sound like the old stats, on average, on how often people had reserve rides. But I think I was told an average of every 300 jumps not 150.

Curious where you got your info.

Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[labrys 0]

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This almost sound like the old stats, on average, on how often people had reserve rides. But I think I was told an average of every 300 jumps not 150.

Curious where you got your info.

Someone made a post not too long about the average time people stick with the sport and why they quit. They used the term "life expectancy" in their post meaning "time in sport", not actual life expectancy. I wonder if that's where this originates.

Owned by Remi #?

[jumpslo 0]

I think I made the mistake of "life expectancy" and "in the sport". I see where that comes from. That would be ridiculous for every 150 jumps. Makes me feel better ha! Thanks for the help

"Good rule of thumb; is what you are doing the EASIEST for You? Because if it is, it ain't going to work for the people around you."

[kelpdiver 2]

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I think I made the mistake of "life expectancy" and "in the sport". I see where that comes from. That would be ridiculous for every 150 jumps. Makes me feel better ha! Thanks for the help

The guestimates on life expectancy in terms of actually dying are more on order of 1 in 65,000 to 100,000 jumps. But annualized, it could be 1 in 1000 per year.

If you have been reading the discussions, it's been noted that the risk has been skewing towards the more experienced/aggressive jumpers. Student accident rates have gotten pretty low. Just get sleep the night before, pay attention, ask questions and you put yourself in a good position to have fun without taking on too much risk.

[Scoop 0]

Do ya feel lucky punk?

[Scrumpot 1]

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I think I made the mistake of "life expectancy" and "in the sport". I see where that comes from. That would be ridiculous for every 150 jumps. Makes me feel better ha! Thanks for the help

Yeah, whew.... You really skeered me there and had me going for a second!

Good luck with soon starting your skydiving life with us too! ....Hope you make it! MAYBE even past 150 or so jumps too, if yer "lucky"!

Blues,
-Grant

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[kallend 2,027]

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I think I made the mistake of "life expectancy" and "in the sport". I see where that comes from. That would be ridiculous for every 150 jumps. Makes me feel better ha! Thanks for the help

If you do an actuarial type study, the AVERAGE reduction in life expectancy of someone who starts jumping in his/her twenties and makes 100 jumps/year for the rest of their life is around 2 years. In comparison, someone who starts smoking a pack a day in their twenties can expect a reduction in life expectancy of around 6 years.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[skytash 0]

there I was, thinking you were a physicist - and you have been a closet actuary all this time????

tash

Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

[DJL 235]

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If you have been reading the discussions, it's been noted that the risk has been skewing towards the more experienced/aggressive jumpers. Student accident rates have gotten pretty low. Just get sleep the night before, pay attention, ask questions and you put yourself in a good position to have fun without taking on too much risk.

Basically, you're safe until you have enough skill to kill yourself.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[PhreeZone 20]

Don't count on even that. There have been a few fatalities even in my short 6 years where students killed themselves by flying into hangers. I'd say its more:

"You're in danger until you have enough skill to kill yourself with a different mistake."

The first few jumps provide the most risk for injury due to poor landings and other newbie errors. Then you start finding new ways of getting hurt or killed.

The one that still amazes me that no one has been seriously hurt or killed yet on is raft jumps. I can't count how many times I see video of people that get above the raft. All it takes is for the people inside to fall out as you are over it and the raft will slam into you at about 110 mph.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[jumpslo 0]

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Basically, you're safe until you have enough skill to kill yourself.

Ha! This seems very true. Although I'd say your still in danger of making Newbie mistakes.

"Good rule of thumb; is what you are doing the EASIEST for You? Because if it is, it ain't going to work for the people around you."

[jumpslo 0]

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"You're in danger until you have enough skill to kill yourself with a different mistake."

Seems like this could fall into a bunch of 'extreme sports' categories. That is a great quote

"Good rule of thumb; is what you are doing the EASIEST for You? Because if it is, it ain't going to work for the people around you."

[cosmo22 0]

Anyone notice ,that there are very few female fatalaties?Being there are large number of female
Skydivers.They must be doing something right.

[phoenixlpr 0]

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Anyone notice ,that there are very few female fatalaties?Being there are large number of female
Skydivers.They must be doing something right.

There are very few female skydivers too.

[PhreeZone 20]

Out of the 195 enteries in the fatality database here approx 32 are females. Thats about 16%. Thats roughly the same percentage of females that are skydivers.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[jumpslo 0]

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There are very few female skydivers too.

Dang. . guessing don't get into it for the ladies!

"Good rule of thumb; is what you are doing the EASIEST for You? Because if it is, it ain't going to work for the people around you."

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[cosmo22 0]

Well than let me ask this.How many females
have died from low hook turns ,And canopy
collisions?

[cosmo22 0]

And another thing.You say theres not many female
skydivers you must jump at a smll DZ.Because i seen alot at SDC ,Skydive New England,Skydive
Houston.Skydive Dallas.Perris.And the one near
me Skydive AZ.You know why?Because there conservtive.There not out to impress anyone.
Just to stay away from high testerone Aholes who feel its worth dying to prove There cool.

[jumpslo 0]

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Just to stay away from high testerone Aholes who feel its worth dying to prove There cool.

Do you think most deaths come from trying to show off and getting involved in more technical, more advanced forms of skydiving? Or are some just 'freak' accidents?

"Good rule of thumb; is what you are doing the EASIEST for You? Because if it is, it ain't going to work for the people around you."