"Army blames negligence in New York paratrooper's training death"

2015-09-30T09:24:58-04:00

From: NY Daily News

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Negligence by a jump master led to the broken neck and death of a 21-year-old paratrooper from New York who became tangled in another jumper's lines during a 2014 training jump, according to an Army report on the investigation of the death.

Sgt. Shaina Schmigel became tangled in the suspension lines of the next jumper and the most glaring error was the jump master failing to inspect the static lines of Schmigel's parachute, according to the report obtained by The Fayetteville Observer under the Freedom of Information Act.

The jump master was permanently removed from those duties, according to the report. That person's name was blacked out in the Army's documents.

The 82nd Airborne Division said the death of the paratrooper from Batavia, New York, led to a thorough safety review.

Schmigel's static line was loose and it caused her parachute to not open properly when she jumped from a C-17 aircraft, the report said. Schmigel was towed behind the plane and then became entangled in the next jumper's lines, breaking her neck in three places several seconds later, according to the report.

Other soldiers found Schmigel dead on May 30, 2014, when they all landed in the jump zone. The four soldiers assigned to the plane's doors were all performing that duty for the first time, according to the Army's report. It recommended that no more than half the soldiers assigned to safety can be doing that job for the first time.

Schmigel was an intelligence analyst with the 37th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. She had joined the Army in 2010 and was assigned to 2nd Brigade since June 2011.

Her mother told the newspaper that Schmigel spent six months in Iraq, where she would send her daughter beef jerky, candy as well as paper and stamps to write home. Karie Schmigel saw her daughter for the last time on Mother's Day weekend in 2014 when her daughter insisted on seeing her before she returned to Fort Bragg.

"I'm glad I got to see her," the mother said. "Two weeks later, I lost my daughter."

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/army-blames-negligence-n-y-paratrooper-death-report-article-1.2376762

Army blames negligence in N.Y. paratrooper's death: report

Negligence led to the broken neck of a 21-year-old paratrooper who got tangled in another jumper's lines, according to an Army report.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Sep 30 at 2015 9:34 AM

2015-09-30T09:34:12-04:00

As I have said before "Safety is Vigilance." Doing the little things right every time. It's when you fail to do everything right, little things creep in, and that's when people get hurt.

The problem is that repetitive actions create "muscle memory" and I was taught long ago "Muscle memory will save your life, muscle memory will get you killed." What that means is, as you learn how to do things, and repeat them constantly, it goes from the thinking stage to a point where you don't have to think about them. A stage where you go from A to B to C down the chain to Z. Unfortunately.. eventually you get so good and so fast your brain and body will just jump "letters" and will take you from A to Z FAST. It knows what to do. That can save your proverbial bacon... but it can also get you killed.

This incident is tragic. Absolutely tragic. But... I bet if you asked the Jumpmaster, he will swear "I checked, I know I checked." Like he was walking through a dream, his body on auto-pilot. This doesn't excuse fault. He was the Jumpmaster, and with that comes absolute responsibility. But I can see how it happened.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 30 at 2015 9:35 AM

2015-09-30T09:35:53-04:00

The jump master was the most glaring error. Does that mean there were others? Does it also seem we have to have "someone to blame"? It is dangerous training.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Sep 30 at 2015 10:37 AM

2015-09-30T10:37:07-04:00

RIP Airborne. "The 82nd Airborne Division said the death of the paratrooper from Batavia, New York, led to a thorough safety review"...I'm not Airborne so someone please help with my question. Are there not regular safety inspections prior to jumps (gear, procedures, regulation reviews), upon the day of jumps, and AAR's and lessons learned after jumps? I assisted the units in Honduras when it was time for them to jump (to keep qual'd), but the most we did was inspection of commo (I was the RTO on the ground to the helo), and I believe it was JMPI for the jumpers? Nothing afterwards other than policing of gear and turn in with a lot of laughs of who landed the hardest or floated away (they did Hollywood jumps then).

Response by Sgt Ronnie Mack made Sep 30 at 2015 10:54 AM

2015-09-30T10:54:34-04:00

Sorry for the loss of that sister in arms. If there is and or was neglaence. If so, then feet shall be held to the fire.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Sep 30 at 2015 1:26 PM

2015-09-30T13:26:05-04:00

Attention to detail. DETAIL. Every single little minute one of them. Sounds like they missed one, here. Sad.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 30 at 2015 2:10 PM

2015-09-30T14:10:33-04:00

I'm a jumpmaster and some of the people in my unit were confused by the error the safety made. I really wish they would share pictures of how the static line was wrapped under so that the main curved pin would not pop.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 30 at 2015 3:19 PM

2015-09-30T15:19:38-04:00

I knew her personally. We attended our first AIT together. Rest easy Airborne.