Jump plane pilot to be charged with manslaughter for midair w/skydiver

aloft

aloft

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From http://www.local6.com/news/5062103/detail.html

Pilot To Be Charged With Manslaughter After Skydiver Hit In Midair

POSTED: 4:28 pm EDT October 5, 2005
UPDATED: 6:09 pm EDT October 5, 2005

The Volusia County state attorney's office plans to charge a pilot with manslaughter for the death of a skydiver in April, according to a Local 6 News report.

Albert "Gus" Wing III of Longwood was finishing his free fall when the plane he jumped from hit him.

The skydiver's legs were severed at the knees and he died shortly after landing.

The pilot, William Buckman, will be charged with manslaughter and wreckless operation of an aircraft, Local 6 News has learned.

Deland is about 40 miles north of Orlando.
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FlyOrDie said:
It is Florida news...
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One of the morning radio shows here (Radio From Hell) has a bit they call "Germany or Florida?" where they read some whacked news story, then callers guess whether it happened in Germany or Florida. Too funny.
 
not to sound like an ass...I do feel sorry for the guy who died, but that's what happens when you jump out of an airplane OVER AN AIRPORT. I dont think that its all the pilots fault as I dont think any of us could even hit a sky diver if we were trying...just crappy luck, and it shouldn't be illegal to have bad luck.
 
Screaming_Emu said:
not to sound like an ass...I do feel sorry for the guy who died, but that's what happens when you jump out of an airplane OVER AN AIRPORT. I dont think that its all the pilots fault as I dont think any of us could even hit a sky diver if we were trying...just crappy luck, and it shouldn't be illegal to have bad luck.
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I agree, it is just part of the risk of skydiving. I bet the pilot folowed the post drop procedures correctly as well.
 
As a jump pilot myself, I know it's difficult to see the parachutes sometimes on descent into the airport. I always keep my pattern to the south side of the airport, as the jumpers maneuver and land on the north side. It's possible for a vigilant pilot to just plain get unlucky.
 
Screaming_Emu said:
not to sound like an ass...I do feel sorry for the guy who died, but that's what happens when you jump out of an airplane OVER AN AIRPORT. I dont think that its all the pilots fault as I dont think any of us could even hit a sky diver if we were trying...just crappy luck, and it shouldn't be illegal to have bad luck.
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:yeahthat:

Oh, yeah, love the av, can you do that for me?
 
Screaming_Emu said:
not to sound like an ass...I do feel sorry for the guy who died, but that's what happens when you jump out of an airplane OVER AN AIRPORT.
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I don't understand. Since most drop zones are at airports, where do you think they should jump?
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SteveC said:
I don't understand. Since most drop zones are at airports, where do you think they should jump?
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I think that he's just pointing out that there is some risk involved.

Nobody wants to accept risk.

Kind of like a surfer - there's a risk of drowning!
 
Gotcha. I thought he meant they should jump somewhere else. Time for new reading comprehension glasses.

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He was just charged with manslaughter. Might be some overzealous DA and it'll probably get throw out of court anyway.

If two aircraft hit in midair, do you charge the surviving pilot with manslaughter?
 
Doug Taylor said:
He was just charged with manslaughter. Might be some overzealous DA and it'll probably get throw out of court anyway.

If two aircraft hit in midair, do you charge the surviving pilot with manslaughter?
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I really hope so. I didn't know the guy personally, but saw him around when I jumped a lot at DeLand. Didn't know the pilot at all, but almost all the folks at DeLand are great people.

I can't imagine how they could win a case like this, unless there's some other details that haven't been revealed.
 
I seem to remember a post here just after this happened. Thought it mentioned a factor was having a fast turn time. Basically after the last jumper is out they descend as fast as they can to get the next load. When I use to jump I recall the plane usually stayed pretty clear of the airport and we avoided the final approach to avoid any conflicts. I'd have to agree that unless the pilot was doing something really stupid it'll probably get thrown out in court.
 
NSTB Report

NTSB Identification: MIA05LA096
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, April 23, 2005 in Deland, FL
Aircraft: de Havilland DHC-6, registration: N24HV
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Uninjured.





This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain
errors.
Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has
been
completed.



On April 23, 2005, about 0915 eastern daylight time, a de Havilland
DHC-6,
N24HV, registered to Vertical Air Inc. and operated by Skydive Deland,
Inc.,
as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 parachute operation, struck a cinematographer
parachutist during a downwind approach to the landing runway at the
Deland
Municipal-Sidney H Taylor Field, Deland, Florida. Visual meteorological
conditions prevailed and the flight was coordinated with FAA Daytona
Beach
Approach. The pilot reported no injuries and the cinematographer
parachutist
received fatal injuries. The airplane incurred substantial damage to
the
left wing. The flight originated from the same airport earlier that
day,
about 0855.

According to witnesses, the airplane was about 13,500 feet above ground
level (agl), when 14 parachutists were released for the skydive over
the
Deland airport. Several witnesses stated they saw the cinematographer
parachutist descending toward the center of the field and was at about
600
feet agl when the airplane, which was on a left downwind approach for
runway
30, collided with him. Another witness stated he heard a loud sound and
looked to see a parachutist canopy deflating, and the accident airplane
heading in a south-southeast direction, about an attitude of 400 to 500
feet
agl and 3/4 mile from and parallel to the landing runway. He saw the
canopy
reinflate and could see the parachutist had been struck by the
airplane. The
cinematographer parachutist descended between the hangars and runway
before
landing.


​
 
--------------------
A day after sky-diving crash, April fatality is scrutinized
--------------------

Jeff Libby
Sentinel Staff Writer

October 5, 2005

DeLAND -- A day after a plane carrying 10 international sky divers
crashed
during take-off at DeLand Airport, officials for the State Attorney's
Office
said they are reviewing another serious accident at the airport earlier
this
year for possible criminal charges.

The State Attorney's Office would not give further details on the
charges
being considered in the fatal midair collision between a sky diver and
an
airplane in April.

But DeLand police confirmed that the target of the criminal probe is
the
pilot, William Buchmann of DeLand.

"That's where the focus is, on the individual pilot," said Cmdr. Randel
Henderson, police spokesman.

Buchmann could not immediately be reached for comment.

DeLand police also released the names Tuesday of the sky divers and
pilot
involved in Monday's crash. Only the pilot and two of the parachute
jumpers
remained hospitalized Tuesday night.

Shannon Gray Lane, 37, of DeLand, the pilot of the aircraft, was in
serious
but stable condition, an improvement from the previous day, hospital
officials in Daytona Beach said. Lane had been admitted at Halifax
Medical
Center in critical condition.

A jumper from Brazil, listed by police as Kristian Gomes, 32, remained
hospitalized in fair condition at Halifax.

At Florida Hospital DeLand, Jean-Pol Lintelo, 45, of Spain, listed in
good
condition, was recovering from an ankle fracture, hospital officials
said.

Three other sky divers from Spain were treated and released from the
DeLand
hospital on Monday for minor injuries: Francisco Mejia, 30; Juan Maria
Castillo, 27; and Alberto Gonzales, 25.

Marco Oliveira, 34, also of Brazil, was released Tuesday from Halifax
Hospital.

Sky divers who refused treatment after the crash included Nikolai
Eliasson,
45, of DeLand, Thomas Hayes, 52, of Denmark, Ryan Miller, 19, of
Daytona
Beach and Vicente Rosell, 27, of Spain.

The crash during takeoff of the Pilatus Porter single-engine turbine
plane
Monday was the third serious sky-diving accident at DeLand Airport this
year.

Witnesses said the plane reached an altitude of about 50 feet before
banking
hard to the left and crashing to the ground. A witness who called 911
reported seeing smoke after the crash, but no fire, according to tape
recordings released by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday.

Sky-diving photographer Albert "Gus" Wing III, 50, of Longwood died in
the
April collision.

In January, Jan Kadic, a 28-year-old Czech parachutist, died from
injuries
sustained during a hard landing.

Lane, the pilot in Monday's crash, has a clean flying record, according
to
Federal Aviation Administration officials.

Jeff Libby can be reached at jlibby@orlandosentinel.com or
386-253-2316.



Copyright (c) 2005, Orlando Sentinel | Get home delivery - up to 50%
off

Visit OrlandoSentinel.com
 
aloft said:
One of the morning radio shows here (Radio From Hell) has a bit they call "Germany or Florida?" where they read some whacked news story, then callers guess whether it happened in Germany or Florida. Too funny.
Click to expand...

Germany or Florida was started by Adam Corolla on the "Love Line" radio show. Its awesome!
 
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