{"id":25418,"date":"2020-10-09T06:45:23","date_gmt":"2020-10-09T06:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/10\/09\/green-berets-free-fall-death-spotlights-concerns-sparks-working-group\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:31:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:31:48","slug":"green-berets-free-fall-death-spotlights-concerns-sparks-working-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/10\/09\/green-berets-free-fall-death-spotlights-concerns-sparks-working-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Beret\u2019s free-fall death spotlights concerns, sparks working group"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Master Sgt. Nathan Goodman<\/a>\u2019s exit at 11,000 feet above the Arizona desert \u201clooked good” to the free-fall parachutist<\/a> leaving the twin-turboprop aircraft just behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But after leaping into the night sky Jan. 13, the 36-year-old Green Beret with more than 200 free-fall jumps became unstable as he reached for the bottom of his rig to throw out the pilot chute, which catches wind and drags out the main canopy, a line-of-duty investigation determined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goodman \u201cmost likely dipped his right shoulder” when he reached back, destabilizing him as he fell, laden with full combat equipment and breathing from an oxygen mask, according to the investigation obtained by Army Times through the Freedom of Information Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goodman\u2019s \u201cmain parachute and lines deployed around him and became entangled in his [night vision goggles] and even possibly other equipment,\u201d the document reads. He attempted to cut away from his main canopy and deployed his reserve chute, but once again the lines became fouled around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A team sergeant with 3rd Special Forces Group<\/a> at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Goodman had transitioned to a new style of parachute deployment on Jan. 9, several days before the mishap that took his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investigation launched the formation of a working group this summer, according to Army Special Operations Command spokesman Col. Tage Rainsford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Normally, jumpers are trained to pull a ripcord located on their right shoulder, which launches a spring-loaded pilot chute and deploys the main canopy. But during the jump trip, Goodman was re-trained on a method that requires the jumper to reach down to the bottom of their rig to grasp a hand-deployed pilot chute that they then throw into the wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The method may be newer for military jumpers, but it is common among civilian skydivers. It is also regularly used by Military Free-Fall School instructors at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Army special operators qualified in free-fall are required to transition to the hand-deployed pilot chute method, according to April 2019 training guidance cited in the investigation. The new method is ultimately safer and considered the \u201ccurrent industry standard,\u201d according to Rainsford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is a simple and secure deployment method and almost completely eliminates the possibility of a pilot [chute] hesitation during deployment,\u201d said Rainsford, adding that it also helps standardize the deployment methods used by instructors and students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Master Sgt. Nathan Goodman, 36, of Hope Mills, North Carolina, died Jan. 14, during a routine military free fall training exercise near Eloy, Arizona.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But the investigation into Goodman\u2019s mishap highlighted a concern that the new method, which requires jumpers to reach back rather than simply grab the ripcord at their shoulder, could introduce range-of-motion issues for some individuals, especially when loaded down with combat equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That concern was also shared in military training slides, dated to September 2019, which were discussed in the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile the use of a [hand-deployed pilot chute] system is safer, it does pose a greater risk to parachutists that cannot conduct a stable exit, stable free-fall or maintain heading control throughout the deployment,” the slides stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investigating officer recommended a working group be formed to discuss potential issues with transitioning to the new method and help adjust regulations. The officer also said protocols could be improved to address the range-of-motion issues some jumpers may experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those recommendations were approved this June by Lt. Gen. Francis M. Beaudette, who helms Army Special Operations Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\t