Weightbelts cause explosions!!!

[skySue 0]

Check out this story from NZ. Excuse the format, I just copied it off my email from a friend:
>
> Skydivers' weightbelts cause airport explosions
>
> 30.04.2001 4.00 pm
>
> Two objects that exploded on a road outside Rotorua airport yesterday,
> injuring a woman, have been identified as skydivers' weight belts,
> police said today.
>
> It was first thought the wallet-sized objects were home-made bombs
> filled with lead shot which blew up
> when cars ran over them about 4pm yesterday.
>
> But Rotorua police said today the objects had been identified as weight
> bags filled with lead shot.
>
> They appeared to have come loose during a skydive over the airport and
> exploded when they hit the ground, peppering people outside the
> terminal, Detective Sergeant Mark Loper said.
>
> A woman who was hit suffered minor injuries.
>
> "Had these bags directly hit somebody, then the outcome of this outcome
> may have been more tragic,"
> Mr Loper said in a statement.
>
> The incident had been referred to the Civil Aviation Authority for
> investigation.
>
> - DAILY POST (ROTORUA)
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> New Zealand News
>
>
> Skydiver drops lead weights
>
> 01.05.2001 By ELEANOR BLACK
>
> Bystanders at Rotorua Airport were sprayed with lead shot after a pair
> of 2.5kg skydiver's weights plummeted 762m, hitting the ground with such
> force that witness thought they were exploding bombs.
>
> The weights, made from black fabric bags filled with lead, are used as
> ballast to keep a falling skydiver stable.
>
> But during a routine jump on Sunday afternoon, skydiver Gregg Eagles
> left his weights tucked into the pouch that held his parachute secure in
> its backpack.
>
> When he released the ripcord, they fell to the ground, landing near the
> airport entrance with such force that
> police were called to investigate reports of homemade explosives being
> detonated.
>
> Police thought they might have been dealing with explosives left by a
> bomber and detonated when a car
> drove over them. They began an investigation to see if similar
> incidents had happened at other airports.
>
> Reports of the "bombs" were sent out on the news wires.
>
> One woman was slightly injured when she was peppered with lead pellets,
> but Detective Sergeant Mark Loper said someone could have been killed if
> the bags had scored a direct hit.
>
> Mr Eagles, a veteran of more than 500 jumps, had no idea he had lost the
> weights until he got a phone call
> yesterday morning. He said he did not see the weights because they
> "blended in" and he usually used larger ones made from 4-litre oil cans.
>
> "I really don't know how it happened ... I won't be using those weights
> again.
>
> "When I found out I thought, 'Oh no, what have I killed?'
> Somebody could have been really badly hurt," said Mr Eagles.
>
> Dr Chris Tindle, a physicist at Auckland University, said it was
> difficult to know the speed and force the weights would have reached
> when they hit the ground. But they were probably falling at terminal
> velocity.
>
> They would have had enough force to easily cave in a car roof and anyone
> hit would certainly have been killed. "It would put a great big dent in
> almost anything it hit."
>
> The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating.
Go for it ALL
Sue

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

made from black fabric bags filled with lead, are used as
> ballast to keep a falling skydiver stable

Gee, once again the media f**ks up facts...well, luckily for me I've grown my own ballast through long nights of drinking so I can fall semi-stable with out weights...
"Are they short-shorts?" T.B.

[freeflir29 0]

Quote

The weights, made from black fabric bags filled with lead, are used as
ballast to keep a falling skydiver stable.

If thats all it took working with AFF level 1 would be much easier....
"I'm a danger to myself and everyone around me!"-Clay

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Ahhh...Rotorua, the smelliest town in the world.....Cool place though.
Lota of whuffo mythology (mithunderthtanding perhapth) in these reports.
My favourites:-
weights plummeted 762m.....thats quite a precise number!
bags filled with lead, are used as ballast to keep a falling skydiver stable.
"Had these bags directly hit somebody, then the outcome of this outcome may have been more tragic," No kidding!
He said he did not see the weights because they
"blended in" and he usually used larger ones made from 4-litre oil cans......wtf??
I won't be using those weights again. hmmmmm
they were probably falling at terminal velocity....also..... It would put a great big dent in almost anything it hit.. ...Ya gotta hand it to physicists
Cya
D

[PhreeZone 20]

OK... this one is over a year old... What it was was he was using packing weights and happened to pack one in his main. On opening it fell to the ground...
Goat #2....
Yay.... Our side of the table rocks! DRINK!

[TheMarshMan1 0]

Quote

But they were probably falling at terminal velocity.

....ya think?
"If I could be like that, I would give anything, just to live one day, in those shoes..."

[kingbunky 3]

okay, that makes sense, i was wondering how the hell a person (or why for that matter) would use a four litre oil jug for ballast. where the heck would you attach it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
bunky
get crazy, before it gets you.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Packing weights apparently, just another phucqed up media report.
Cya
D

[skycat 0]

ok, maybe I'm on drugs here, but I don't know about you guys, but I think I would notice a packing weight in my main tray, you know like when I go to put the main in.

Ok if I managed it, I think I would notice an extra say 10 lbs on my back, the damn thing is heavy enough the way it is.

[PhreeZone 20]

I don't know... If you ever use one pound tube weights to hold the material durning a reserve pack job and then use the same pack method on a main and forget about the weight... it Could be done easy enough. Just have the weight inbetween the S folds and it could go unnoticed easy enough if you are jumping a large canopy and the weight was small enough....
Goat #2....
Yay.... Our side of the table rocks! DRINK!