MSgt. Josh Gavulic inadvertently pulled his reserve parachute ripcord while donning a rucksack in close proximity to an open ventilation door, according to the findings of an Accident Investigation Board, convened following the fatal Feb. 21, 2014, military training mishap. Gavulic, a 16-year veteran tactical air control party member who was assigned to the 17th Special Tactics Squadron at Fort Benning, Ga., at the time of the accident, was taking part in free-fall proficiency training over Eloy, Ariz. Following Gavulic’s death, AFSOC convened a safety investigation board to determine the cause of the mishap and recommend measures necessary to prevent a recurrence. The SIB determined safety of flight issues, and released its findings for internal USAF use. Maj. Gen. Mark Hicks, AFSOC’s director of operations, chaired the AIB investigation and signed off on its conclusions. The open ventilation door on Gavulic’s aircraft was large enough for a parachute to pass through, but not large enough for the “safe passage of a person.” (Read the full AIB report; Caution, large-sized file.)
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.