Probe looks at human factors in parachute fatality

A report on the death of a searchand-rescue technician in a parachute training accident says the investigation is focusing on human factors, including training and emergency procedures.

Master Cpl. Alfred Barr, who was a member of 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron at 17 Wing in Winnipeg, died in March while on a training mission near Yorkton.

The investigator’s flight safety report says the parachute did not open normally and Barr quickly went into a tight clockwise descending spiral.

The report says Barr could be seen making movements similar to those used to untwist parachute lines before he hit the ground.

It further says examination of the parachute did not reveal any evidence of equipment failure.

The flight safety report details the circumstances and facts of the accident, but does not provide information on what caused it.

That is still under investigation. Barr, originally from Lethbridge, Alta., joined the military in 2009, and graduated from the searchand-rescue training course last June.

Col. Andy Cook, commander of 17 Wing, said in March that Barr, 31, died while honing the skills SAR Techs use to find and save people in dangerous situations, sometimes under extreme conditions. Cook said the military will use any lessons learned to improve training to prevent similar deaths.

On his Facebook page, Barr acknowledged being part of a rescue mission that saved a family of four adrift overnight in Hudson Bay last summer.