Steve's own close call list

Steve's close call list.

Steve compiled this list a few years before his death, so it is short several close calls, including one just a week before the freak accident that finally claimed him beneath a perfectly fine, open chute...

Forgive the all caps, he was an aol'er to the end....

HERE'S THE ONES I CAN REMEMBER, THOUGH I'M SURE I'M

LEAVING A LOT OUT :

1983 to 1994 -- 21 DECLARED EMERGENCIES IN MILITARY JETS

(NEVER HAVE HAD TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY IN A NORTHWEST BIRD)

THESE INCLUDED 4 ENGINE FAILURES, ONE OF WHICH WAS OVER 1000

MILES FROM THE NEAREST PIECE OF LAND WAY OUT OVER THE POND

AND COMBINED WITH A SERIOUS FUEL LEAK IN ONE OF MY EXTENDED

RANGE TANKS, IT ALSO INCLUDES 4 ENGINE FIRES ONE OF WHICH

I WAS UNABLE TO EXTINGUISH BY FIRING BOTH FIRE BOTTLES OFF.

ONE OF THE OTHER FIRES WAS RIGHT AFTER TAKING OFF IN A BAD

SANDSTORM WITH 35 KNOT WINDS AND VISIBILITY AT 1/2 MILE (MADE

FOR A SPORTY EMERGENCY RETURN AFTER I SHUT IT DOWN AND FIRED

THE BOTTLE). MOST OF THE OTHER EMERGENCIES INCLUDED

HYDRAULIC FAILURES, ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, AND FLIGHT CONTROL

MALFUNCTIONS (ONE OF THEM WAS A MULTIPLE - WHICH ISN'T

GOOD.) THE MOST EXCITING ONE WAS DURING THE WAR WHEN I

LANDED A BIRD HEAVILY LOADED WITH AMMO WITH NO BRAKES OR

SPOILERS (JUST REVERSERS) BECAUSE WE HAD LOST 2 of 3

HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS, HAD A MAJOR ELECTRICAL FIRE (AND ALL THE

PROBLEMS THAT GO WITH THAT)I THICK SMOKE AND MISTING

HYDRAULIC FLUID (WHICH IS HIGHLY FLAMMABLE - PLEASE NOTE

ELECTRICAL FIRE MENTIONED ABOVE) AND AN UNSAFE GEAR

INDICATION ON THE LEFT MAIN). GOT A NICE MEDAL FOR THAT

ONE.

1975 to 1994

MADE OVER 1600 FREEFALL PARACHUTE JUMPS FROM AIRPLANES,

GLIDERS AND HOT AIR BALLOONS, THIS INCLUDED NUMEROUS LOW

PULLS (MOST INTENTIONAL) OPENING BELOW A GRAND AT TERMINAL.

ONE OF WHICH WAS A LOW PULL GETTING CANOPY AT 200 FT RIGHT

OVER THE HANGAR AT 175 FT PER SECOND, GREAT RUSHR I GOT IT

ON VIDEO IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE IT. ITS HOT, IF

NOT A LITTLE STUPID. I ALSO HAVE AN INTENTIONAL JUMP FROM

AN AIRCRAFT A 240 FT (ALSO ON VIDEO). ON AIRPLANE JUMPS

I'VE USED MY RESERVE CHUTE 19 TIMES, BAG LOCKSR STREAMERS,

LINEOVERS, BLOWN CANOPIES, PILOT CHUTES IN TOW, YOU NAME IT

AND I'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH IT AT SOME TIME OR ANOTHER. I

SURVIVED A MEDIUM SPEED (ABOUT 40 - 5OMPH) IMPACT WITH THE

GROUND IN 1979 WITH ONLY A BROKEN BACK, I ALSO HAD A

PARTICULARLY NASTY TREE LANDING IN 1977 THAT I CAME OUT OF

WITH ONLY SCRATCHES, ON ANOTHER JUMP IN 1982 I LANDED OVER

A MILE OUT IN THE ATLANTIC (IN FEB !) WITH NO FLOTATION

GEAR, NO BOAT WAITING OR LOOKING, AND PROMPTLY GOT TANGLED

IN MY GEAR TRYING TO SAVE IT. A 17 YEAR OLD SURFER FINALLY

RESCUED ME AT THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT, A LITTLE SIDENOTE

HERER I TRAINED HIM TO JUMP OUT OF GRATITUDE AND PAID FOR

HIS FIRST SEVERAL JUMPS. SHORTLY AFTERWARD HE MOVED TO

OHIO AND MET A GIRL AT A PARACHUTE CENTER THERE, MARRIED

HERT AND NOW THEY HAVE A KID, THAT I FEEL WAS MY DOING IN A

ROUNDABOUT WAY. I MEAN, IF I HADN'T ALMOST DROWNED THEN HE

COULDN'T HAVE SAVED ME, WOULDN'T HAVE LEARNED TO JUMP AND

WOULD NEVER HAVE MET HIS WIFE AND HAD THE KID, COOL HUH?

FATE WORKS TN STRANGE WAYS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS LITTLE THINGS

THAT HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS JUMPING THAT COULD HAVE GOT ME

BUT DIDN'T. PEOPLE DEPLOYING THEIR CHUTES UNDER ME,

PARTICULARLY UGLY OR DIFFICULT MALFUNCTIONS AT THE WORST

POSSIBLE TIME, AND SOME THAT ARE KINDA COMPLEX TO EXPLAIN

HERE.

1982 to 1994

B.A.S.E. OR FIXED OBJECT JUMPING FROM LOW ALTITUDE Buildings, Antennas,

Spans (BRIDGES), AND Earth (CLIFFS).

I'VE MADE ABOUT 80 SOMETHING BASE JUMPS ALL OF WHICH WERE

HAIRY BECAUSE OF THE LOW ALTITUDES INVOLVED (USUALLY JUMPING

FROM UNDER 700 FT AND MANY IN THE 200 - 300 ft RANGE) IN

AIRPLANE JUMPING I'VE ONLY LOST A FEW FRIENDS AND WATCHED

FOUR PEOPLE TAKE IT ALL THE WAY IN. BASE JUMPING IS A LOT

MORE RISKY AND I'VE LOST EIGHT FRIENDS IN THE SPORT WATCHING

SEVERAL OF THEM GO IN UP CLOSE. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER

BASE JUMPER THAT HAS SUCCESSFULLY USED HIS RESERVE MORE THAN

ONCE ON A BASE JUMP BUT I'VE DONE IT NOW THREE TIMES NOW AND

ALMOST DIED ON EACH (PROBABLY A 50/50 COMBINATION OF LUCK

AND SKILL). THE ODD THING IS THAT FOR MOST OF MY BASE JUMPS

I HAVEN'T EVEN WORN A RESERVE SINCE THERE IS SO LITTLE TIME

TO USE IT IS USUALLY MOOT, GUESS I CHOSE THE RIGHT ONES TO

WEAR IT ON. THE FIRST TIME I USED A RESERVE ON A BASE JUMP

(1985) AFTER A PILOT CHUTE IN TOW IT OPENED AT 100 FT AND I

LANDED IN A RIVER AND GOT WRAPPED AND PINNED UP AGAINST A

ROCK WITH JUST MY HEAD OUT OF THE WATER AND WAS RESCUED

BEFORE I WAS PULLED UNDER, THE SECOND TIME (SAME BRIDGE BUT

IN 1986) I HAD A SIMILAR ACCIDENT AT NIGHT AND ENDED UP WITH

A MAIN AND RESERVE BOTH OUT, OPENING AT 50 OR SO FEET. THE

ALMOST INSTANT SPLASHDOWN TOOK ME RIGHT INTO THE RAPIDS

SMACKING MY HEAD INTO A ROCK SO HARD IT SPLIT MY HELMET AND

PUSHED ONE OF MY TEETH THROUGH THE SKIN JUST BELOW THE LIP

AND THEN PINNED ME UNDER WATER SEVERAL TIMEST THE LAST TIME

FOR ALMOST TWO MINUTES (WHICH SEEMS LIKE A LOT LONGER WHEN

YOU CAN'T BREATHE) THE NEXT TIME I HAD TO USE A RESERVE ON

A BASE JUMP WAS AFTER DOING A LONG DELAY OFF THE TOP OF HALF

DOME IN YOSEMITE. A SPINNING MALFUNCTION AT LOW ALTITUDE

CLOSE TO THE FACE AND I MADE THE DECISION TO GO FOR THE

RESERVE RATHER THAN BE MAIMED ON IMPACT INTO THE ROCKY

TALUS. I CHOPPED MY MAIN AND DEPLOYED THE RESERVE AT THE

SAME TIME AND GOT RESERVE OPENING AND IMPACT ON A ROCK LEDGE

LESS THAN A SECOND APART. I CRACKED ONE OF MY LEFT RIBS

AND SPRAINED MY FOOT AS I IMPACTED THE LEDGE WHICH WAS ABOUT

15 FT WIDE. AFTER AN 8 HOUR HIKE TO THE TOP IT TOOK ME 9

MORE HOURS TO GET BACK DOWN TRYING TO EVADE THE COPS, AS IT

TURNED OUT I GOT ARRESTED ANYWAY FOR "UNAUTHORIZED AERIAL

DELIVERY OF A PERSON WITHOUT A PERMIT" AND "CREATING AND

MAINTAINING A HAZARDOUS CONDITION". EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS

LATER I BEAT IT IN COURT. THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF OUR LEGAL

SYSTEM - YOU CAN BE GUILTY AS SIN BUT IF YOU THROW ENOUGH

MONEY AT THE PROBLEM YOU WILL ALWAYS END UP NOT GUILTY (IF

YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME JUST ASK OJ SIMPSON), ON ANOTHER BASE

JUMP I WAS JUMPING A 2000 FT TV TOWER WITH JOHN OWENS AND MY

CHUTE OPENED BACKWARDS INTO THE STRUCTURE AND I WAS BARELY

ABLE TO MISS THE TOWER BY STALL TURNING TO THE LEFT. LUCKY

FOR ME I HAD OPENED AT A GAP IN THE GUIDE WIRES OR I

WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT, A QUARTER OF A SECOND

SOONER OR LATER ON MY FREEFALL DELAY AND I WOULDN'T HAVE

BEEN SO LUCKY, ON MY INFAMOUS CLIFF JUMP IN SAUDI ARABIA IN

1988 (A NICE WALL I'D DONE SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER

SUCCESSFULLY) MY CHUTE OPENED DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE WALL

ALMOST 180 DEGREES OFF HEADING. THE IMPACT BROKE TWO BONES

IN EACH FOOT. LUCKILY I WAS WEARING KNEEPLATES, ELBOW

PLATES, AND A HELMET. MY KNEES AND HEAD TOOK HARD HITS ALSO

BUT THEY DIDN'T BREAK THANKS TO WEARING PROTECTION. 80% OF

HEAD ON CLIFF STRIKES ARE FATAL SO I WAS PRETTY LUCKY

(PREPARED I'D PREFER TO SAY). THIS HAPPENED WAY OUT IN THE

DESERT AND IT TOOK MY FRIEND SEVEN HOURS TO CARRY ME OUT OF

THE DESERT AND TWO AND A HALF MORE TO GET ME TO A SAUDI

HOSPITAL. AH YES, FOND MEMORIES OF THAT DAY. THE GOOD

THING WAS THAT I WAS ONE WEEK FROM SHIPPING BACK STATESIDE

TO CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE AND THE AIR FORCE HAD ALREADY

GIVEN ME MY TICKETS. I WAS GOING TO LONDON ON THE 20th TO

JUMP SOME BUILDINGS THERE AND CONTINUING TO THE STATES ON

PAN AM FLIGHT 103 ON THE 21st, OF COURSE I MISSED IT SINCE

I WAS AIR EVACed TO A MILITARY HOSPITAL IN GERMANY TO HAVE

MY FEET REBUILT WITH STAINLESS STEEL PINS AND SCREWS. AN

ODD FOOTNOTE TO THIS, IF I HAD BEEN ON THE FLIGHT I ALWAYS

TAKE MY PARACHUTE AS CARRY ON BAGGAGE. I FIGURE THEY HAD

OVER A MINUTE FROM THE EXPLOSION TO IMPACT. I CAN PUT A

CHUTE ON TN 20 SECONDS, EVEN IN THE DARK. YOU NEVER KNOW I

COULD HAVE BEEN THE ONLY SURVIVOR, WOULDN'T THAT HAVE

CAUSED SOME SUSPICION - THE ONLY SURVIVOR IS RETURNING FROM

THE MIDDLE EAST AND JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE A CHUTE WITH HIM

1983 DAVE FOX (HE FLIES FOR DELTA NOW) AND I CAME REAL

CLOSE TO HAVING A MIDAIR AS STUDENT PILOTS DOING FORMATION

ACROBATICS IN MISSISSIPPI.

1985 VERY NASTY THUNDERSTORM ENCOUNTER IN THE PACIFIC

1988 EVEN WORSE THUNDERSTORM ENCOUNTER IN WESTERN SAUDI

ARABIA. MY COPILOT AND I BOTH ENDED UP WITH BRUISES

FROM BEING THROWN AGAINST OUR SHOULDER HARNESSES.

1991 SURVIVED TWO SCUD ATTACKS WHILE UNLOADING CARGO AND

FUELING UP,

1992 BARELY MISSED HITTING MOUNTAIN WHILE BEING

VECTORED BY RUSSIAN CONTROLLERS IN TAJEKISTAN (SP?)

1994 JUMP TEAM ACCIDENT - SHATTERED LEFT LEG AND ANKLE

1994 HEAD ON WITH THE 18 WHEELER - TWO BROKE RIBS

MISC TRIVIA-- TOTAL BONES BROKEN - 10

-- PIECES OF HARDWARE HOLDING ME TOGETHER - 12

-- BAD SPRAINS TO MY RIGHT FOOT - 4

-- BAD SPRAINS TO MY LEFT FOOT - 3

-- TOTAL NUMBER OF SPEEDING TICKETS - 42

-- NUMBER OF STITCHES - LOST COUNT

WELL I THIS TOOK LONGER THAN I THOUGHT (BAD SIGN, HUH?)

GIVE ME A CALL. IT WAS NICE TALKING TO YOU AGAIN,

MY LOVE ALWAYS,

STEVE

PS - NO TIME FOR A SPELL CHECKF SO PLEASE DON'T MARK IT

UP WITH RED INK OR NOTHING