Jack Creane spun out of control during a wing suit jump over Parakai, Auckland in January 2019.
Video / Supplied
The grieving sister of an Irish tourist killed during a 2019 solo skydiving accident says she accepts a decision by the aviation watchdog not to reopen the investigation into his death.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has been reviewing the case of Jack Creane, 27, after "additional material" was provided to investigators more than three years after the accident.
Creane had just graduated from the New Zealand Skydiving School at Parakai and was on an Auckland Skydive jump on the day of the March 15 Christchurch mosque attacks when he hit the ground at speed after attempting a low-altitude turn.
A CAA investigation report released a year later found the young man made no attempt to "flare", or slow down, before impact, nor did he adopt the emergency landing position before striking the ground.
A coroner's decision said an investigation by Skydive Auckland found the accident may have been due to "poor flight planning and poor decision-making" by Creane.
The Herald reported this year that three months before the accident, Creane messaged his sister Abby in Ireland to say he'd nearly died during a wingsuit jump.
"Was like 15 seconds off dying yesterday," Creane wrote in the message.
"Scary s***. Lost control of my suit and was spinning like this for like 7000ft."
A 10-second video clip shot from a GoPro on Creane's helmet showed him spinning wildly as he hurtled towards Earth.
Irishman Jack Creane pictured with his sister, Abby, before he travelled to New Zealand to study skydiving. Photo / Supplied
The video and message were provided to the CAA. The Herald understands the video was then sent to a Defence skydiving expert for review.
Meanwhile, investigators have been assessing new evidence about the accident provided to the CAA in July.
A Facebook messenger conversation appeared to suggest a former staff member had given the young graduate a smaller parachute than he intended before the fatal jump.
The man told the Herald he had been following instructions that day and was not responsible for knowing what canopy size Creane was using or assessing his level of ability.
Experts told the Herald smaller canopies allow pilots greater speed and performance, but less recovery time should things go wrong.
Abby Creane called for the CAA to reopen the investigation into her brother's death after the new evidence emerged, saying she deserved to know what happened to her brother.
Auckland Skydive told the Herald Creane's equipment had been properly checked that day, and he was aware of the size canopy he was using, which was recorded in his log book.
Abby Creane and friends of her brother, Jack, release the dead skydiver's ashes during a tribute jump over Parakai in March 2019. Photo / Supplied
The company's joint director Tony Green said regardless of how equipment was acquired, certified sports jumpers, such as Creane, were responsible for having equipment checked and approved through Skydive Auckland processes.
"The CAA and NZPIA [New Zealand Parachute Industry Association] both conducted investigations into the accident and were provided with all the information and facts."
The original CAA investigation report found Creane - who had completed about 260 jumps including nine on the canopy size he was flying on his final descent - was correctly qualified, with no previous record of parachute handling incidents.
His death was the first of three within as many years involving recent graduates from the New Zealand Skydiving School. The CAA launched a review of the skydiving sector in April because of "concerning trends" that it said required further investigation.
After receiving the new information relating to Creane's accident, a CAA spokeswoman told the Herald the material was being assessed and the investigation team would follow a robust process.
Irish national Jack Creane, 27, died in a skydiving incident near Parakai in 2019 soon after graduating from the New Zealand Skydiving School. Photo / Supplied
Yesterday, the CAA issued a short public notice on its website saying it had decided not to reopen the investigation into Creane's death.
"The CAA has reviewed all additional material provided to us by external sources, this includes conducting interviews where necessary, relating to the fatal parachute accident at Parakai on 15 March 2019.
"Video material that was provided to the CAA has also been reviewed by an independent expert.
"The assessment of the additional material has not found anything new that requires the CAA to reopen the investigation or to change the conclusion of the investigation."
Speaking from her home in Ireland, Abby Creane said she was contacted by the CAA and informed of the decision.
They said her brother had conducted nine earlier jumps on the smaller chute size and that video evidence showed he made no attempt to correct the low-altitude turn.
The Facebook messages had been sent just hours after the accident when "emotions were high", the CAA told her.
Though she still missed her brother, she accepted the decision not to reopen the investigation.
