Fatality Analysis

[MT]

I know, I know - I said I was signing out for good. Just one last thing.

Here is my own personal analysis of fatalities I used to refer to when I was considering what jumps I was comfortable with and what I could avoid to increase my chances of living. I am not going to include the backup to this as I am sure many people would disagree with my analysis of why some people died and I have no interest in getting into that debate.

Take it or leave it, it is only of marginal value without jump numbers relevant to the objects to add into the equation but it does give a bit of a picture of how you are most likely to run into problems + possibly what you could do to avoid them. Like I said - take it or leave it.

To those who have lost love ones who I have "analysed" I apologise, the only purpose of this was to know where the greatest risk lay and therefore hopefully avoid them. If one person without the relevant experience stays away from a cliff as a result of this and therefore lives, then this wasn't time wasted.

[Nick_D]

I haven't looked at this too closely yet, but at first glance this appears to be outstanding work, and thank you for doing it. I'd only add the suggestion you post this on DZ.com as you will reach more of your target audience.

It's funny, but in the large view of things, I see I spent my early BASE career talking people into BASE jumping, and the latter part talking people out of it . . .

After all these years I'm convinced the only way to prevent BASE fatalities is abstinence. And, I'm beginning to change some long held views of mine concerning BASE jumping instruction.

When organized BASE instruction first began it was the BASE gear manufactures fulfilling a responsibility they felt (and rightly so) to educate people to properly use the BASE equipment they purchased. When individuals, not directly affiliated with these manufactures, began offering BASE courses the entire dynamic changed.

When teaching a skydiving first jump course I'm secure in the knowledge that if any of those students make skydiving a career, it's more than likely they'll retire alive. I'm not so sure a BASE Instructor can tell themselves the same thing. At least not as this point.

Recently, Apex BASE sent me a copy of their latest version of their promo video, called, "Around the World" for review.

It's a great vid, and I enjoyed watching it, and then my girlfriend said something I never considered and something that could only come from someone that doesn't BASE jump. "What's the big deal," she said, "BASE jumping looks so easy!"

I can't fault my friends at APEX, after all it's a promotional video, and people who know what they are doing can make anything look easy, but it's endemic to the larger problem.

I know there are individual Instructors out there running courses that I'd entrust my sister to (for BASE, not for anything else ) but no matter how much these Instructors warn people about the dangers of BASE, the risk will be somewhat overlooked by students simply because, not matter what they say, or what they sign, they are just incapable of understanding the long term risk. And this is notwithstanding the, "it won't happen to me," syndrome.

When you add to the mix the lesser Instructors, the ones motivated by fame and fortune, the situation becomes, in my opinion, intolerably compounded. The biggest thing, the telling thing is, I have no idea what the answer is . . . and that scares me.

NickD
BASE 194

[MT]

Nick,

It's now on DZ.com in word format split into two files, maybe you could add your zipped version onto that thread too.

As for the work involved it was merely an analysis of all your hard work on your website. If you want the excel file to use on your website shoot me a mail.

All the best,

Martin

[Nick_D]

By all means, I was going to ask if I could that . . .

Send it to base194@aol.com

And this is funny, I came back to edit my sig because I missed the shift key when writing BASe 194.

But since it was that little cliff in Riverside, California, where I qualified for my BASE number, and since I've jumped the bigger ones, it just seems too apropo.

Thank you,
NickD
BASe194

[Mac]

I had done something like this on Excel, but its on my work PC and I did not have a chance to get it back after they sacked me. (I also know that some T has done something similar)

I assume you have done this on Excel and just linked the graphs to a word doc, would you be able to send me your data XLS sheet? As I would like to continue with my own previous project, but my old company wont allow me to access my old files (including my "letter") - also T, could you send me your XLS file too, as I would like to try and consolidate the two files and perhaps increase the analysis of data...........

Thanks

Michael