Wayne F. Kidrowski
December 25, 1956 - August 16, 2013
Wayne Kidrowski, 56, fell to his death on Aug. 16 after he was sucked out of an open door of an airplane owned by Brooklyn-based Skydive Iowa. The parachute he was told to wear deployed in the plane without warning, according to the lawsuit.
Kidrowski’s parachute got caught on the plane’s tail before he fell 600 to 700 feet to the ground, the lawsuit said.
Attorneys for Kidrowski’s wife, who was named administrator of his estate, believe the plane’s pilot and owners weren’t in compliance with federal safety regulations, according to the lawsuit sent to Poweshiek County on Tuesday. The lawsuit names Skydive Iowa and its owner, Bruce Kennedy, as well as the pilot, Andrew Arthur, as plaintiffs.
Kennedy declined to speak with a reporter, citing the litigation. Kennedy said the skydiving business remains open. Arthur could not be reached for comment.
During the August flight, Kidrowski had agreed to ride with Arthur in the Cessna 206 from Brooklyn to the Grinnell Regional Airport so that the airplane could undergo maintenance, according to the lawsuit. The plane had no seat for Kidrowski with a safety belt, because all seats except for the pilot’s had been removed, the lawsuit said.
An employee of the skydiving company who is also named in the lawsuit, Brent Rhomberg, gave Kidrowski a parachute to wear during the flight even though Kidrowski had no intention of skydiving, according to the lawsuit. Rhomberg acted negligently in requiring the parachute, the lawsuit said.
“Wayne Kidrowski would not have been pulled from the aircraft and killed if he had not been required to wear a parachute,” the lawsuit said.
The plane’s right-side door had been removed, and a “roll-up style door” on the airplane was not used during the flight, leaving the door open, according to the lawsuit.
Under federal law, planes can be flown without doors specifically for skydiving, the lawsuit said.
Further, the pilot failed to provide a pre-flight briefing, which could have included safety equipment information, the lawsuit said.
Kidrowski’s parachute deployed when the plane was flying at an altitude of more than 1,000 feet, according to the lawsuit. The wind dragged the parachute and Kidrowski out of the plane, and then the parachute got caught on the plane’s tail, the lawsuit said.
The parachute, stuck on the tail, caused the plane to stall and descend about 300 feet, according to the lawsuit. When Arthur got control of the aircraft again, Kidrowski’s parachute came off the tail, and the pilot believed Kidrowski “had control” of the parachute, the lawsuit said.
Kidrowski was a father of two adult daughters and had two granddaughters and worked at the Brooklyn Elevator, his widow, Cindy Kidrowski, confirmed for The Des Moines Register through an attorney.
The lawsuit asks for damages for “loss of spousal support” as well as “loss of enjoyment of life” and “pre-impact terror.” The lawsuit also asks for punitive damages, levied to punish plaintiffs for negligent or reckless behavior.
An average of 21 people die each year in skydiving accidents, said Jim Crouch, director of safety and training for the United States Parachute Association. Such deaths are commonly caused by human error, such as opening a parachute once a skydiver is too low to the ground, or by two divers colliding mid-air, he said.
Crouch said the association was aware of Kidrowski’s death, but did not include the death in its count because he wasn’t on a skydiving flight.
Crouch declined to comment on the specific actions leading to Kidrowski’s death, but said all skydive operators are responsible for ensuring they are complying with all laws and Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
Source: http://www.desmoinesregister.com
Wayne Kidrowski - Obituary: http://www.smithfh.com
Skydive Iowa Inc: http://www.skydiveia.com
BROOKLYN AIR INC., N2070K: http://registry.faa.gov/N2070K
NTSB Identification: CEN13LA500
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 16, 2013 in Brooklyn, IA
Aircraft: CESSNA 206, registration: N2070K
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On August 16, 2013, about 1730 central daylight time, a Cessna 206 airplane, N2070K, was damaged inflight near Brooklyn, Iowa. The commercial pilot was not injured; however, the passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Brooklyn Air Inc., and operated by Skydive Iowa Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as positioning flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from Skydive Iowa Airport (09IA), Brooklyn, Iowa, and was en route to Grinnell Regional Airport (KGGI), Grinnell, Iowa.
=========
Wayne Kidrowski, 56, of Holiday Lake near Brooklyn, IA died on Friday, August 16, 2013, of injuries he received in an accident near Brooklyn.
A celebration of life gathering will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, August 23, 2013 at the Holiday Lake Community Center.
Should friends desire, memorials may be directed to the Wayne Kidrowski Memorial Fund and sent in care of the Smith Funeral Home, P.O. Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112.
Wayne was born on December 25, 1956, in Cresco, IA to Robert H. and Giovanne Pecinovsky Kidrowski. He attended Mayo High School in Rochester, MN and later attended Hawkeye Technical College in Waterloo, IA.
He worked with the Iron Workers Local Union #89 for over 23 years and lived in Waterloo, IA. Following his retirement he worked for the Brooklyn Elevator and worked as a maintenance man at the Guernsey location. He was married to Cindy Johnston Eakins on September 4, 2011 at Holiday Lake near Brooklyn.
Wayne was a master welder and was involved in the construction of the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, IA and the Isle Casino in Waterloo, IA. He was an avid Harley motorcyclist and he enjoyed traveling to bike rallies in Sturgis, SD and Daytona Beach, FL. Wayne received his work ethic and skills from his father, which enabled him to do such things as to build his own home at Holiday Lake. While living at Holiday Lake he enjoyed fishing and spending time outdoors.
Survivors include his wife, Cindy Kidrowski of Grinnell; two daughters, Kari Kidrowski of Muskegon, MI and Kristi Kidrowski of Evansdale, IA; one step-daughter, Shanna Eakins of Waterloo, IA; one step-son, Joel Eakins of Ames, IA; two granddaughters, Kiara and Winter McGee; four sisters, Renee (Robert) Smeby of Lake Shore, MN, Cheryl Kidrowski of Plainview, MN, Mary (Vince) Anderson of New Port Richey, FL, and Carolyn (Pete) Jorland of Bovey, MN; and three brothers, Fred (Colleen) McCall of Mantorville, MN, Bobby Kidrowsky of Bloomington, MN and Jack (Angie) Kidrowski of Dickinson, ND.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
===========
The widow of a Brooklyn man killed last year in an unlikely airplane accident has filed a lawsuit claiming that negligence by a skydiving company and pilot caused her husband's death.
Wayne Kidrowski, 56, fell to his death on Aug. 16 after he was sucked out of an open door of an airplane owned by Brooklyn-based Skydive Iowa. The parachute he was told to wear deployed in the plane without warning, according to the lawsuit.
Kidrowski's parachute got caught on the plane's tail before he fell 600 to 700 feet to the ground, the lawsuit said.
Attorneys for Kidrowski's wife, who was named administrator of his estate, believe the plane's pilot and owners weren't in compliance with federal safety regulations, according to the lawsuit sent to Poweshiek County on Tuesday. The lawsuit names Skydive Iowa and its owner, Bruce Kennedy, as well as the pilot, Andrew Arthur, as plaintiffs.
Kennedy declined to speak with a reporter, citing the litigation. Kennedy said the skydiving business remains open. Arthur could not be reached for comment.
During the August flight, Kidrowski had agreed to ride with Arthur in the Cessna 206 from Brooklyn to the Grinnell Regional Airport so that the airplane could undergo maintenance, according to the lawsuit. The plane had no seat for Kidrowski with a safety belt, because all seats except for the pilot's had been removed, the lawsuit said.
An employee of the skydiving company who is also named in the lawsuit, Brent Rhomberg, gave Kidrowski a parachute to wear during the flight even though Kidrowski had no intention of skydiving, according to the lawsuit. Rhomberg acted negligently in requiring the parachute, the lawsuit said.
"Wayne Kidrowski would not have been pulled from the aircraft and killed if he had not been required to wear a parachute," the lawsuit said.
The plane's right-side door had been removed, and a "roll-up style door" on the airplane was not used during the flight, leaving the door open, according to the lawsuit.
Under federal law, planes can be flown without doors specifically for skydiving, the lawsuit said.
Further, the pilot failed to provide a pre-flight briefing, which could have included safety equipment information, the lawsuit said.
Kidrowski's parachute deployed when the plane was flying at an altitude of more than 1,000 feet, according to the lawsuit. The wind dragged the parachute and Kidrowski out of the plane, and then the parachute got caught on the plane's tail, the lawsuit said.
The parachute, stuck on the tail, caused the plane to stall and descend about 300 feet, according to the lawsuit. When Arthur got control of the aircraft again, Kidrowski's parachute came off the tail, and the pilot believed Kidrowski "had control" of the parachute, the lawsuit said.
Kidrowski was a father of two adult daughters and had two granddaughters and worked at the Brooklyn Elevator, his widow, Cindy Kidrowski, confirmed for The Des Moines Register through an attorney.
The lawsuit asks for damages for "loss of spousal support" as well as "loss of enjoyment of life" and "pre-impact terror." The lawsuit also asks for punitive damages, levied to punish plaintiffs for negligent or reckless behavior.
An average of 21 people die each year in skydiving accidents, said Jim Crouch, director of safety and training for the United States Parachute Association. Such deaths are commonly caused by human error, such as opening a parachute once a skydiver is too low to the ground, or by two divers colliding mid-air, he said.
Crouch said the association was aware of Kidrowski's death, but did not include the death in its count because he wasn't on a skydiving flight.
Crouch declined to comment on the specific actions leading to Kidrowski's death, but said all skydive operators are responsible for ensuring they are complying with all laws and Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
No comments:
Post a Comment