AbstractExact risk patterns in skydiving fatalities are not well known, but incomplete world injury data indicate that many are preventable. A comprehensive national material for Sweden of 37 skydiving fatalities 1964–2003 were reviewed to identify risk factors. In relation to jump volume, the period 1994–2003 had a fatality rate 11 times lower than 1964–1973. Student skydivers had the highest risk of fatal outcome, often caused by instability in freefall leading to unstable parachute activation with subsequent line entanglement, or parachute activation failure. Unintentional water landings also contributed to student fatality, with life jacket malfunctions, neglect to use life jackets, and automatic reserve parachute activation devices activated by water as aggravating factors. One-third of all fatalities had an inflated and operational parachute at some point prior to injury. A drastic worldwide increase in fatal landing incidents with fast wing parachutes during the 1990s did not occur in Sweden. Every fourth fatality caused by rapid deceleration against ground or water survived impact and died during transports or in hospitals. Rescue units and health care providers can improve management of skydiving incidents from knowledge about the incident and injury mechanisms we have described, and the skydiving community can target risk factors in preventive safety work.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Fatalities in Swedish skydiving


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2005-06-02


    Size :

    9 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




    Fatalities in Swedish skydiving

    Westman, Anton | Online Contents | 2005


    SKYDIVING ROBOTS

    HALEY MARK | European Patent Office | 2024

    Free access


    The SKYNET data: Demography and injury reporting in Swedish skydiving

    Westman, Anton / Sjöling, Mats / Lindberg, Ann et al. | Elsevier | 2009


    WIND TUNNEL SKYDIVING SIMULATOR

    ROMANENKO RUSLAN / PARMANIN ALEXANDR / IVONINSKII ALEKSANDR et al. | European Patent Office | 2018

    Free access