Report+ on AF jumpmaster’s death

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. - Staff Sgt. Cole Condiff, 29, an Air Force Special Tactics jumpmaster, who was ejected from the rear of a C-130 aircraft over the Gulf of Mexico last November, was likely dead before he hit the water, according to an accident investigation’s 43-page report signed on March 6, and only recently released. He had been slammed into a doorframe of the aircraft, according to Maj. Gen. L. Kip Clark, senior Air National Guard adviser to Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and president of the Accident Investigation Board (AIB) convened by the Air Force. Loose material on Condiff’s reserve parachute was sucked into the aircraft’s wind stream. Also, according to the report, insufficient knowledge of procedures and requirements for safe static-line parachute operations and “insufficient command oversight” were major factors in his death. Condiff was declared dead Nov. 8 after exhaustive searchers by multiple agencies, and suspended after 17 days. There has been no recovery to date of his remains or personal effects. Condiff’s death came less than a month after another 24th Special Operations Wing airman, 33-year-old Tech. Sgt. Peter Kraines, a Special Tactics pararescueman, died during mountain rescue and climbing training in Idaho. In the wake of the two incidents, the command teams of two units associated with the fatal mishaps were relieved of duties, according to Maj. Amanda Reeves, chief of AFSOC public affairs operations. (Source: News Journal 07/14/20) https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/07/14/two-command-teams-relieved-duty-following-report-hurlburt-airman-death/5436866002/