Has anyone ever heard of someone skydiving when their parachute failed and yet they survived?

Question

I heard this story from an old science teacher, but I always thought he was kidding about it. Some lady goes skydiving, her chute doesn't open, but she lands in a grassy field with soft dirt, and she not only survives but doesn't have any broken bones because of the way she hit the ground (she fell on her back).

Answer 1

I don't know about the "no injuries" part. It's possible...but not likely.

I saw a show on Discovery Health about a woman whose parachute didn't open and she busted all the bones in her face but they put her back together and she's doing fine. It might have been the same woman on other news programs.

But usually, people don't just walk away with no injuries. Something's gonna get broken--come on! They fell out of an airplane! You're not even gonna break a rib or two? I broke my finger playing church basketball and I didn't jump from a plane or anything. So I think you might be looking at an urban legend.

Answer 2

This happened to a friend of mine in December 2005.

His chute opened, then evidently a wind shift caused it to collapse, but he got half of it open again, went into a spin, and took the last 100 feet (10 stories) at freefall. He landed in a plowed field, which was lucky, because if he had landed in the drop zone, it would have been like landing on cement (it's packed ground and we hadn't had rain in a long time). From what I was told, he went 3 feet into the ground. Broke one leg from the knee to the hip (has a rod in there now) fractured or broke a vertebra (he was in a back brace for six months), got 20 stitches in his lip, had some brain bleeding that they got under control, and basically got DAMNED lucky. Last October they had to re-break his leg because it hadn't healed correctly, but at least he's up and walks with a cane.

The understanding I got from talking with him, the way he landed (on his side) helped save his life, and the fact that the first responders DIDN'T roll him onto his back kept him from being paralyzed.

I would think that landing flat on your back would be bad, because that's where the pack is, and your spine wouldn't hit the ground flat - it would bend (and possibly break) over the edge of the pack?

Answer 3

Yes, it does happen - just don't count on it happening to you ;)

Transcript from CNN Dec 13, 2005:

"BLITZER: And coming up -- ...

Also free fall survivor -- a pregnant woman whose parachute malfunctioned drops from the sky at 50 miles an hour and lands on her face. Find out how she lived to tell her incredible story. She's joining us here, 7:00 p.m., right now. That's coming up."

Keep in mind that after a certain height terminal velocity stablizes everyone, so relatively low altitudes are no safer than extreme ones (last link)

Answer 4

There was a story years ago (either Guideposts or Readers' Digest) where a man fell 10,000 feet but his chute caught just right between two tall trees so the branches let him down gently enough so that... hmmm... I believe he broke his ankles but also landed on his back... Was quite surprised to be alive, as he was truly horrified all the way down.

Answer 5

I saw on tv .. His parachutes opened and tangled or something and the backup could fire or something like that and they hit the ground and survived

Answer 6

read an account in a newspaper some years ago about such an incident, the guy broke both ankles but survived.

Answer 7

There are a lot of urban legends that do not stand up to real investigation. This may be one of them.

Answer 8

My brother did.He's in the 82nd airborne,just cracked his knee.

Answer 9

actually its true that people went sky diving and they survived before. I dont know how, but yeahh. =)

Answer 10

It does happen although it's rare.