Brilliant idea for an "accidental" death (suicide)

[Wayfaerer]

I've no intention on doing this as I do not want mine to look like an accident, but I'd thought I'd share what just came to my mind.

If you want to make your death accidental, why not pick up skydiving as a hobby? One day, your chute "mysteriously" just doesn't open. I'm surprised I haven't heard more from this. Only downside is that it's expensive but if you are patient and save up for it then I think it's a slam dunk.

 

[mattwitt]

Skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, rattlesnake hunter, hiking in remote dangerous locations. All good ways to accidentally die : )

 

[k75]

This comes up every once in awhile. I've read of people surviving the fall.

Then (different scenarios) there are cases of people surviving extremely high falls, like that flight attendant who fell 33,000 feet or whatever.

And, of course, there's stuff like this:

Automatic activation device - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

But I read about a flight instructor who committed suicide like this, so it is possible.

 

[Wayfaerer]

Then (different scenarios) there are cases of people surviving extremely high falls, like that flight attendant who fell 33,000 feet or whatever.

The one from former Yugoslavia? I've heard that one was fluffed up. There is no way you could survive a 33,000 flight free-fall, that is physical impossible.

 

[k75]

The one from former Yugoslavia? I've heard that one was fluffed up. There is no way you could survive a 33,000 flight free-fall, that is physical impossible.

I read it really happened but there were other factors, like she was in part of the plane, which protected her and landed on snow. Still, that's quite a fall.

 

[Wayfaerer]

I read it really happened but there were other factors, like she was in part of the plane, which protected her and landed on snow. Still, that's quite a fall.

Even then if you land on your head, which is possible due to reaching terminal velocity, then there is 100% chance of death. You couldn't ever survive that, no way no how.

 

[k75]

Even then if you land on your head, which is possible due to reaching terminal velocity, then there is 100% chance of death. You couldn't ever survive that, no way no how.

Can you really guarantee a head landing, though?

Ugh! Falling is one of my worst nightmares. I can't do this anymore. LOL

 

[TAW122]

Yes, this could work for people who are into extreme sports or similar hobbies. As for dying and looking like an accident, it would still take a long process because someone new to skydiving would be under the wing of an instructor and then not be able to do much on his/her own, limiting the chances of being able to CTB. It is not until the person is experienced enough that he/she would be able to skydive unsupervised and yes, it can be expensive too.

 

[voyager]

someone new to skydiving would be under the wing of an instructor and then not be able to do much on his/her own

Yeah, jumping is not my foremost method. I do have some fantasies about it, but the instructor aspect indeed ruined it for me. Alternatively, but you need to be sure about this, buy a wingsuit and jump off a cliff. Sounds really fun, imho, just don't try to land it without a parachute or you'll be a in a world of hurt if you were to survive.

 

[protonic76]

It takes guts even for a mentally strong and non-suicidal person to do parachuting because fear of height/falling and possible bone crushing death is scary. Unless impulsive, suicidal people struggle with overcoming their own doubts and fears, let alone what was just mentioned.

 

[Roger]

The one from former Yugoslavia? I've heard that one was fluffed up. There is no way you could survive a 33,000 flight free-fall, that is physical impossible.

Would you believe 2000 feet then ?

Because that's about the distance a human body needs to fall in order to reach terminal velocity, after which it accelerates no more.

Be that as it may, survival after falls from extreme heights always attract interest, and there is always some explanatory feature.

Now, I do this from memory, so . . . . .

There are some doubts about the Yugoslavian flight attendant. The aircraft blew up at 33000' but . . . . (lots of buts).

A Russian pilot in WW2 fell about 20000'. He fell onto a steep slope which caused his initial contact to be glancing, then the contours of the valley allowed him to decelerate gradually.

An American bomber crewman called Magee fell about 20000' over a French town. (St Nazaire ? Somewhere like that.) He crashed through the glass roof of the town railway station which slowed him enough to survive hitting the ground.

Nicholas Alkemade was rear gunner in a Lancaster bomber. When the aircraft was set on fire over Germany he was unable to reach his parachute, and so he decided to jump rather than burn. He survived an 18000' fall. He crashed through downward sloping branches of conifer trees, then into a snowdrift. He was captured and was asked where his parachute was, and was disbelieved when he said he had jumped without one. When the Germans examined the wreck of his plane they discovered the metal fittings of his burned parachute pack stowed in the fuselage. The Commandant of the PoW camp shook Alkemade's hand when this news came through, and gave him a certificate verifying the events, because he said that after the war nobody would ever believe Alkemade's story.

Interestingly, Alkemade said that he blacked out very briefly when he left the aircraft, and was disorientated when he recovered consciousness. He looked "down" and saw his feet and the stars - he was falling headfirst.

 

[Myrvann]

As mentioned before, not a very practical method unless one is already a certified skydiver. Even then, due to AAD's, one would have to detach from the harness mid-air, either before or (easier) after deployment, or cut the shroud lines. Which would pretty much rule out masking it as an accident. Not very cheap, either.

 

[toomuchgrief]

I LOL everytime I see the flight attendant survival story use as an example, Lollll

Listen. She was tied to a cabin, seat belt in it, then the cabin broke away with the airplane wings and drop. That alone absorb most of her fall. Then it drop on DEEP snow, then it roll from the snow down. That absorb tons of her fall.

That not free fall dear. Free fall meaning you fall straight down, with no tied to cabin, no have anything to give you drag, such like a parachute, vest, etc...