5
eg-bat accidentIHR. Oeorge Pratt
n, an attempt was made to fly the operation Mint* All details having been Ironed out. tho operational plane took off from Iffon0 houra eac hrnrtnd%hiny point Just before reaching the target, the msn who was to Jump with the ieg-bag was told toosition lr. thr.ccordo hla etory as well aa that of hla oollaborntor on the nianlon, he van not given uny assistance whatsoever In thla complicated awvenwnt.esult the Ice-bag became disengaged from the agent'a leg and felleing held back only by the atatlclin* attached to the cgent's harass chestliooet dragging him out of the plane by force. Vinally the ban was cut awey, but only after havingugged ganh In the hola. the oporatlcn wan forced to return un-sucees*ful.
ron astudy an possible under tho circum^tancea, made by Sgt. liantooth. the two agents (who were the onlynd myself, we have decided that one of tho following could have beon the cauaa of the accident*
a) That the tie pins were too loooo and did not offer enough pull resistance.
bJ That the pull cord una ao placed that Ino gat Into tho hole without any help it wnn fouled either under the Jumper's hand or under hie thigh or buttocks.
o) That the rip cord was too short and when the agent leanedtake up hla poaitlon lathe hole, his movement pulled strap releaae
d) That the agenttate of nervous tens-loo puilei the realizing
The lost poaalbllity la not Very probable beoauae both Agents any that at no time waa the cord held in the Jumper's hand.
FOR RELEASE DATE: JUL aW
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n view of the above facts unri Id order to graven) furtherof this nature. It la suggestedoncentrated nttenpt he made to secure pernlsslon froa the Air Corps for Sgt. Kantocth to accoimanj as anny operation whichag-bog setup. This would also help irui^neelysycho logical standpoint, as the agent would feel tauch aero confident in tho presence of the nan who hod trained him in the uae of the equipment; and naturally the personal touchthat critical moment nay be ths differenceuccessful operationailure, oratal accident. Il la also si lcjiesalble for the despatch er to both handle the complicated routine necosnaryump with leg-bag and control the Individual who la at that moment at ths height of nervous strain und who will In any oune forget ull he has learned InThe presence ofHan tooth would enable htx to check In detail the leg-bag equipment, tuid help the Jumper to ossubmBltlon In the hols; thereby Insuring agnj.net repe/titlon of the accidentted In paragraph one*
Henry S. HYPS
BO. ?th, 3SS
Dilt.l
Hr. Pratt Major Steams Major Wentworth tfiiea
Original document.
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