NTSB
Press Release
National Transportation Safety Board
Office of Public Affairs
Office of Public Affairs
NTSB
SPECIAL INVESTIGATION FINDS PARASAILING LARGELY UNREGULATED; INADEQUATE
TRAINING AND FAULTY EQUIPMENT CAUSE OF SERIOUS ACCIDENTS
July
1
Washington, DC - The National
Transportation Safety Board's first investigative report into parasailing
safety finds the activity is largely unregulated with serious accidents
frequently caused by faulty equipment.
Because of the nature of an activity
that often occurs in changing weather conditions with parasailers suspended 500
feet or more above the water's surface, accidents often result in death or
serious injury.
"An afternoon of parasailing
can have tragic results if something as simple as a weak towline, strong winds,
or a worn harness causes a serious accident," said NTSB Acting Chairman
Christopher A. Hart. "It is crucial that operators are competent and aware
of all the risks associated with parasailing."
The report cited eight accidents
that occurred in Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina and the U.S. Virgin Islands
that resulted in eight deaths and five injuries, including several in which
individuals were dragged by an inflated parasail canopy across water and land
and into obstacles.
During the course of its
investigations, the NTSB identified a variety of safety concerns, including
vessel operators who continued to operate in hazardous wind conditions, use of
inadequate equipment or unserviceable gear, and towline strength that was in
some cases compromised.
Although the safety of each of the
estimated three to five million Americans who parasail in the United States and
its territories each year is dependent on the skill and expertise of the master
(parasail operator) and the acceptable condition of the equipment, there are no
federal standards regarding training of operators or inspection of equipment.
The NTSB said that some safety risks
could be mitigated if operators were required to have at least a "minimum
level of experience and professional competence," so it recommended that
the United States Coast Guard implement a special license endorsement for parasail
operators.
The following are three of eight
investigations the NTSB conducted:
Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., Aug. 28,
2009: Two women died after the towline
broke in high winds and the canopy dragged the women through the water and into
a pier.
Pompano Beach, Fla., Aug. 16, 2012: A woman died after her harness separated from the flight
bar, causing her to fall 450 feet into the ocean.
Panama City Beach, Fla, July 1, 2013: Two female teenagers were seriously injured after the
towline broke in high winds and the canopy struck a beachfront condominium.
Investigators also found that tying
knots in the towline may significantly weaken the rope. The NTSB issued a new
Safety Alert, "Towline Failure is the Leading Cause of Injury and Death in
Parasailing Accidents."
As a result of the investigation,
the NTSB issued six safety recommendations to the Coast Guard, the Federal
Aviation Administration, and the National Association of State Boating Law
Administrators.
An executive summary and links to
the full 33-page report and the safety alert are available at http://go.usa.gov/9SFF.
Office of Public Affairs
490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington, DC 20594
(202) 314-6100
Peter Knudson
peter.knudson@ntsb.gov
490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington, DC 20594
(202) 314-6100
Peter Knudson
peter.knudson@ntsb.gov