Red Lion's hard landing at NDP: Change in wind conditions a factor

A sudden change in wind conditions during Red Lions parachutist Jeffrey Heng's final approach contributed to his hard landing at the National Day Parade (NDP).

This was the preliminary assessment by a review committee that was convened to assess the causes of the Aug 9 incident, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen in a written parliamentary reply.

Third Warrant Officer (3WO) Heng had assessed that his parachute canopy was unstable, and executed a landing fall technique in accordance with existing protocol, Dr Ng said on Tuesday.

"His actions mitigated the impact of the hard landing, and consequently he did not suffer severe injuries," he said in response to Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang GRC), who asked if the Ministry of Defence would consider limiting free-fall jumps to training operations.

Another finding so far was that the measured surface wind speeds during the Red Lions' rehearsals and NDP 2022 were within the acceptable range stipulated in the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) safety regulations, Dr Ng said.

3WO Heng was the last of 10 Red Lions parachutists to land during this year's NDP at the Marina Bay floating platform. He was stretchered off but did not require surgery, and a full recovery was expected, said Dr Ng previously.

The review committee, led by the SAF Inspector-General's Office, was convened to assess the causes of the specific incident, as well as review near-misses and incidents in the past, said Dr Ng.

The committee has been tasked to determine if systemic changes such as stronger winds, other weather conditions or the local environment have increased the risks, he said, adding that the findings will have a bearing on routine training.

The committee is studying possible measures, such as increasing the distance between parachutiststo give them more reaction time as they approach the landing zone and space out the landings.

The Red Lions, who have been a regular feature of the NDP since 1989, will continue to be part of the parade celebrations only if safety can be ensured, said Dr Ng.

Of a total of about 3,400 individual parachute jumps, four injuries have been recorded - a rate of 0.12 per cent. This safety record is good and is equivalent to that of regular military free-fall training jumps over the last five years, he said.

With conditions during NDP posing tighter constraints - owing to challenging wind conditions and limited landing area, among other factors - only experienced parachutists are selected as Red Lions for NDP displays, said Dr Ng.

Other safety measures include the careful selection of landing sites, such as those in the heartland. Plans are developed to identify potential risks and design mitigating measures.

Briefings are conducted for all those involved before live jumps, covering pre-operation drills and emergency procedures.

"No-go" criteria for jumps consider factors such as prevailing visibility of the landing site by the parachutists, communication with the pilot and ground personnel, as well as acceptable weather and wind speed.

Each factor is closely monitored in the lead-up to the actual jump, said Dr Ng, and jumps will be cancelled should any factor exceed stipulated thresholds.

Among the issues being examined by the review committee is the impact of eddy currents caused by the design of the floating platform, the stage and spectator stands, said Dr Ng.

These findings will be relevant to the design and construction of NS Square, which will be a permanent site for future NDPs, he said.