Lonnie pulled this rip cord at around 8:15 AM. He decided that 'there was nothing else to do but leave the aircraft,' and bailed out at 5,000 feet. While in freefall, Lonnie was caught in a violent spin, and fully aware of the dangers of his parachute getting wrapped around him, did not pull the rip cord until 100 feet. Lonnie was still clutching this rip cord, when he was found by a French farmer Lucien Lestang.