[I have been asked to forward this
information along to the skydiving/BASE
community]

All:

As some of you may be aware, Jan Davis had
surgery on her right shoulder in 1998. As a
result, the question was raised as to whether
this played a part in her "no pull" off of El
Cap. In order to answer this question, Avery
Badenhop, along with Tom Sander's approval,
requested that Dr. Nikolas Hartshorne analyze
the available evidence.

Dr. Hartshorne is a skydiver and forensic
patholigist with significant experience
investigating skydiving and base accidents.
Dr. Hartshorne spoke to the surgeon who
performed the operation in 1998. Jan had met
with him only 2 weeks prior to the jump.
While there was some pain in her shoulder,
there was no history or evidence of
dislocation.

Dr. Hartshorne then went through every tape
and film made of the jump. As it turns out,
the tape made from the exit point provided
the best view to analyze her behaviour. This
tape was digitally enhanced and analyzed
frame by frame. During the jump, Jan made
several attempts to go for a BOC prior to
impact. It is Dr. Hartshorne's opinion that
there was no way to have gone through the
motions she did if her shoulder had been
dislocated.

Consequently, pilot error is begining to
appear as the most likely cause of the
accident.

The California Coroner's Office and the
pathologist has been provided with the
information about Jan's shoulder surgery.

Rand