Soldier killed in parachute jump ahead of wedding

By Chatchawal Kaewkrajai
The Nation

 

 

A 29-year-old soldier was killed in a rice field in Lop Buri’s Muang district when his parachute failed to open during a practice jump on Monday afternoon.

 

Army Lieutenant Watcharapong Chantarachat from a Prachuap Khiri Khan infantry unit had jumped from a military airplane at 1.30pm. His body was found in Ban Tha Deu of tambon Nikhom Sang Tua-eng and was sent to Ananda Mahidol Hospital. Army officers at the scene declined to give comment, explaining a senior officer would later announce details about the incident.

 

The victim had been studying at the Erawan Military Camp’s Special Warfare School and was reportedly going to get married next month, a source said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30373021

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand  2019-07-15

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RIP,his would be wife will be devastated,

better check the rest of the parachutes,

regards worgeordie

10 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

RIP,his would be wife will be devastated,

better check the rest of the parachutes,

regards worgeordie

Yes.What he said.

During Cobra Gold all the 'guest' jumpers looking for an ornamental pair of Thai Jumpwings to pin of the right side - have their own riggers pack their chutes.

 

Good practice it seems.

 

 

The chute packers must be more careful. It's a one way only alley.

RIP

8 hours ago, JimmyTheMook said:

During Cobra Gold all the 'guest' jumpers looking for an ornamental pair of Thai Jumpwings to pin of the right side - have their own riggers pack their chutes.

I never was involved with Cobra Gold, but I was an earth dart for Uncle Sam for several years. Back then our parachutes were packed by the riggers and the army had an effective and yet simple quality assurance program. This is how it worked. Riggers were randomly selected and they had to jump with the parachute they had just packed.  

 

This is me back in the day. I'm the one in camouflage...

 

37 minutes ago, missoura said:

I never was involved with Cobra Gold, but I was an earth dart for Uncle Sam for several years. Back then our parachutes were packed by the riggers and the army had an effective and yet simple quality assurance program. This is how it worked. Riggers were randomly selected and they had to jump with the parachute they had just packed.  

 

This is me back in the day. I'm the one in camouflage...

 

 

Picnic photo day for the 'leggs' ?

 

 

Looking at the picture it was obviously a basic static line jump. I guess he just couldn’t or wasn’t able to get his reserve parachute out in time.

 

I spent most of my Military career on Airborne status including military free fall in Special Operations. I have over a thousand free fall jumps and over 200 regular static line jumps and in all those years I’ve seen and sustained plenty of injuries and I’ve seen a few accidents but in all the years I was on jump status I never once saw anyone killed.

 

All my jumps were also training jumps I’ve never jumped into combat for real. Although I have been on 5 combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as multiple other foreign deployments.

 

Anyway that’s just horrible a young Soldier just about to get married killed on a routine training jump. When I was still in the military we jumped all the time it’s never a big deal after you get used to it and no one ever expects this to happen to them even though once in a while it happens it’s not a safe job. Very sad.

 

 

 

 

That camouflage is good! All I can see is a flag and some trees! :-)


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This was the only time I ever took pictures on a jump while I was still in the sky under my canopy. This was just a static line jump in Special Forces probably about 20 years ago. I am retired military with 21 years of service and a 100% disabled veteran. But this is what a static line jump looks like. I was the person taking the pictures under my parachute. Very crude pictures but I was using a cheap disposable camera at the time. These pictures are actually screenshots of the Polaroid picture taken by my disposable camera in the sky.

 

 

 

I think I met you in a bar in Chiang Mai, once [emoji6]

I’ve never been to any bars in Chiangmai but here you go [emoji38]

I originally took these pictures with a disposable camera over 20 years ago and these are now screenshots of the original developed pictures Polaroid style old school pictures. This is Sicily Drop Zone on Fort Bragg, North Carolina in these pictures.

That day I jumped with a disposable camera in my cargo pocket and after my chute opened I just started snapping a few quick photos, then I put my camera back in my pocket and I started quickly steering my parachute. These are the kind of static line chutes with the toggle knobs I forgot the type of parachute as in it’s specific model. But it’s ok if you were doubting my story I understand some people really do make up stories. But as you can see in the pictures. I wish I could send you some of my really cool pictures but I don’t want to post a picture of my face on this forum.

Anyway it really is sad about that young Thai paratrooper. My condolences to his fiancée and family I mean that. I used to do this stuff so I get it. Sometimes the Thai Army used to come to Fort Bragg and jump with us lots of countries did that all the time to earn foreign jump wings.

wrong sort of jump

wrong sort of jump

My pictures are from a regular static line jump I never took any pictures of any of my free fall jumps. Obviously my pictures are static line and NOT free fall. I actually said that above if you read it.

I’ve never been to any bars in Chiangmai but here you go [emoji38]

 

I originally took these pictures with a disposable camera over 20 years ago and these are now screenshots of the original developed pictures Polaroid style old school pictures. This is Sicily Drop Zone on Fort Bragg, North Carolina in these pictures.

 

That day I jumped with a disposable camera in my cargo pocket and after my chute opened I just started snapping a few quick photos, then I put my camera back in my pocket and I started quickly steering my parachute. These are the kind of static line chutes with the toggle knobs I forgot the type of parachute as in it’s specific model. But it’s ok if you were doubting my story I understand some people really do make up stories. But as you can see in the pictures. I wish I could send you some of my really cool pictures but I don’t want to post a picture of my face on this forum.

 

Anyway it really is sad about that young Thai paratrooper. My condolences to his fiancée and family I mean that. I used to do this stuff so I get it. Sometimes the Thai Army used to come to Fort Bragg and jump with us lots of countries did that all the time to earn foreign jump wings.

 

 

This is definitely what a Special Operations Static line jump looks like whenever we jumped during the day time anyway we usually jumped at night with full combat equipment. At the time I was in 3rd Special Forces Group on Fort Bragg, NC. This was just a daytime jump and that’s why this particular jump was a good opportunity to get a few decent pictures with an old fashioned disposable camera. These are screenshots of the original old school developed pictures. The Thai chute in the picture looks different. Anyway I really will pray for his family.

2 hours ago, missoura said:

Back then our parachutes were packed by the riggers and the army had an effective and yet simple quality assurance program. This is how it worked. Riggers were randomly selected and they had to jump with the parachute they had just packed.

We were told the very same thing at the OZ jump school. Not sure it was true, but was reassuring at the time.

We were told the very same thing at the OZ jump school. Not sure it was true, but was reassuring at the time.

I get the impression that you both were not in the United States Military but probably another country’s military on Airborne status and in the United States it’s the same for our riggers as well even today. Whenever I jumped free fall I packed my own parachute but only the riggers packed our static line parachutes.

Is there a more dangerous job than a Thai parachute jumper????RIP 

Is there a more dangerous job than a Thai parachute jumper[emoji848]RIP 

Fatalities on all Airborne Operations are very rare but they do occasionally happen. It’s definitely not safe no. In all the years I jumped in the United States Army my main parachute always opened just fine and I never had to use my reserve. But I’ve had my share of injuries on jumps. As most career Soldiers have who are on Airborne status.

He should have bought his jumper badge at the nearest tailor like most of the obese office officials did.

Some people are just dumb and insensitive. This is about a young guy who died doing something that takes guts to do. I will be praying for his fiancée and family and I wish them all the best trying to get through this tough time for them. I’m very sorry for his family’s loss. I truly mean that.

 

It ain’t about me or anyone else on here it’s about that Thai Soldier. I was just trying to show what it actually looks like jumping static line in the military. At least during the daytime jumps anyway. So I posted my personal pictures above as someone else did as well.

 

It’s always the same idiots saying meaningless things to you on here. The ignore button works pretty well though [emoji6]

 

 

 

 

Some off topic posts have been removed

This story just really gets my attention because I spent most of my military career on Airborne status. It’s really sad when something like this happens to a young guy like this. I hope his family is taken care of properly.

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, graemeaylward said:

That camouflage is good! All I can see is a flag and some trees! ????


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RIP soldier.

 

How do you know the camouflage is good if you can’t see it?!

2 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Is there a more dangerous job than a Thai parachute jumper????RIP 

The tourist van/bus driver?

I only ever jump off the top of my wardrobe... I did sprain something once on landing, but thankfully it was a soft landing, nothing broke.

I never saw the point of jumping out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft?

RIP soldier...

1 hour ago, DrTuner said:

The tourist van/bus driver?

Being a Passenger is far more dangerous !

3 hours ago, Mel52 said:

This story just really gets my attention because I spent most of my military career on Airborne status. It’s really sad when something like this happens to a young guy like this. I hope his family is taken care of properly.

 

 

 

 

He will probably be posthumously promoted, the funeral will probably be royally sponsored and his family will receive a pension from the Thai military. That's normally what happens.  RIP young man.

No reserve chute? - this is 2019 and not 1940 when my old man did his first jump.

how about a tvf poll

 

would you use a parachute packed by locals

 

yes

 

no

 

no fxxxxng way

4 hours ago, Mel52 said:

I get the impression that you both were not in the United States Military but probably another country’s military on Airborne status and in the United States it’s the same for our riggers as well even today. Whenever I jumped free fall I packed my own parachute but only the riggers packed our static line parachutes.

Interesting. There is no difference in how a static line deployed chute and a drogue deployed chute are packed, beyond the final closing, so that surprises me. The ability to pack a main parachute should be a part of passing any para qualification.... mind you, jumping those round buggers is crazy.

 

anyway, whilst the quality of the picture is poor, and doesn’t enlarge particularly well, it appears as though the parachute is still in its bag, indicating that the static line was not properly attached to its anchor point, within the plane (which is where the static line and bag should be, vs on the ground by the body)

 

RIP and blue skies forever.