Skydive Taupo did not equip its parachute drop pilots with lifejackets and was not required to do so, because its flights from Taupō aerodrome, which used the Taupō aerodrome parachute landing area, remained within gliding distance of land at all times. This accident illustrated how that scenario downplayed the possibility of a pilot having to ditch an aeroplane, or bale out and drift to a water landing.
Therefore the Commission is recommending that the Chief Executive of Skydive Taupo investigate options for equipping their parachute drop pilots with effective flotation devices.