Two Planes Collide, Skydivers Survive

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GrauGeist

Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Over the weekend, two aircraft collided while preparing for skydivers to jump:


The CNN report and video here: Pilot, passengers jump to safety as skydiving planes collide - CNN.com

The NBC report with exclusive video and actual photos of the incident here:
Exclusive images show skydivers' terrifying collision and chaotic plunge - U.S. News
 
They certainly took care of business and got out safely. All of them were extremely skilled at the sport.
I had been in a ferrying airplane with 6 jumpers up to 10,000 feet,
sitting on an upturned milk crate......
no parachute..... !
 
Still trying to figure out why the upper ship was carelessly overtaking the 172, especially if disembarking jumpers. Why wasn't that pilot keeping the 172 in sight at all times.

The other thing that puzzles me, is how did the Pilot of the 172 have a chute? There just happened to be an extra one laying around? I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I don't recall ever seeing anyone flying a 172 (or similiar type) with a parachute before.
 

I'm not sure about the US, but here, pilots of jump ships have to wear chutes. This is in case one of the jumpers has an early deployment of their chute and gets caught up in the tailplane.

It also looks like he descended into the other aircraft. A 172 can't have too much performance with that many people hanging on the outside of it. But still, the two aircraft were waaay too close together.
 

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