Parachute Practice Cited In Glider Bailout Fatality

Canada's Transportation Safety Board says pilots who routinely wear parachutes should also regularly skydive. The TSB has issued an Air Transportation Safety Investigation Report into a fatal gliding accident near Calgary in May of 2024 in which the pilot, Kerry Stevenson of Calgary, who had more than 30 years of experience, bailed out of his soaring plane in a competition but his chute didn't open. This investigation didn't contain findings or recommendations but the evidence presented suggested the pilot, who had never jumped out of an aircraft before, didn't succeed in operating the parachute. The unactivated parachute was determined to be functional even though it was past its repacking and inspection due dates.

Stevenson was taking part in a cross-country soaring competition from the Cu Nim Aerodrome, but conditions were poor for that kind of flying. Stevenson and all the other competitors couldn't find lift and many of the others had returned to the grass strip when Stevenson's aircraft stalled and started spinning at about 1,150 AGL. Stevenson jettisoned the canopy and got out but fell to the ground with no canopy and died from his injuries.

The report included a description of the effects of stress on human performance and said regular skydiving might mitigate those effects. "Specifically, it is important to emphasize that the regular practice of skydiving is key to increasing the chances of a successful bailout," the report said. "It is important that an individual regularly practise an emergency task in order to become familiar with the scenario and perform 'automatically,' without unmanageable demands on their cognitive resources." Stevenson had only practiced bailing out when the glider was on the ground.