Total Mal - Damaged Reserve

[tbrown 26]

On my third jump this afternoon, I was flying underneath my main canopy when I looked down and saw an all white canopy with no pilot chute flying below. As my 4 Way group was only the second group to leave the plane, I quickly started wondering who could have had a malfunction. As I got a little closer, I noticed the reserve canopy had an irregular "lumpy" look on the top surface, one of the cells near the center was "fatter" looking, you could almost imagine something like a futuristic "afterburner" sort of look to the canopy. I decided that this just couldn't be right, so as I had a cell phone in my pocket, I decided to break out of the pattern and follow this guy down. Happily as things turned out, he made a comfortable looking stand up landing into a fairly brisk 10+ mph ground wind.

The man had exited before our group, to do RW in T shirts and shorts rather than any kind of jumpsuit. He was a bit of a big guy, but not what I'd consider to be too big. He told me he'd had trouble getting his pilot chute out. I'm not sure if he had trouble reaching it, or it just wouldn't come out of the pouch, but he'd done the right thing and gone to pulling the silver handle. Not surprisingly for a rather big guy in a T shirt and shorts, he got a rather hard opening from his reserve. He was not aware of the damage, as it had occurred above the bottom skin of the canopy and he apparently didn't see anything wrong - as if he'd had much choice if he had noticed.

I'm very happy - and relieved - that he landed alright. Back on the ground, the load bearing ribs of the center cell were visibly blown all to hell. It really could have been a lot worse.

The reserve was a PD160, a brand most of us consider to be a "gold standard" reserve - I jump a PD193 myself. I am in no way criticizing PD reserves, but want to point out that things like this can happen to ANY reserve, especially in a terminal speed deployment. The max TSO'd weight limit for most PD reserves (not the newer Optimum reserves) is still 254 lbs. It's quite possible this guy may have been over that limit. There are, quite frankly, some guys who are simply too big for the reserves they're jumping - not just in terms of wing loading, but in bottom line terms of TSO limits. The choice to wear just a T shirt and shorts instead of a jumpsuit was his choice, and I won't criticize that, but it obviously added to his freefall velocity.

I'm just throwing this incident with a happy ending open to discussion because it could have been so much worse. If anything, I'd like to point out that the reserve managed to hold itself together after the damage sustained on opening, so that the guy not only landed safely, but was unaware of the damage until it was pointed out to him on the ground.

We've got some really great reserves on the market these days. But they're not magic - they have their limits and we MUST respect those limits.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[davelepka 4]

Quote

He was a bit of a big guy, but not what I'd consider to be too big.

The max TSO'd weight limit for most PD reserves (not the newer Optimum reserves) is still 254 lbs. It's quite possible this guy may have been over that limit.

He told me he'd had trouble getting his pilot chute out. I'm not sure if he had trouble reaching it, or it just wouldn't come out of the pouch, but he'd done the right thing and gone to pulling the silver handle. Not surprisingly for a rather big guy in a T shirt and shorts, he got a rather hard opening from his reserve

I don't know about you, but I'd say that anyone even approaching 254 is a 'big guy'.

Either way, I would imagine that in a high speed mal such as a hard pull, there's a fair chance the guy was 'less than' stable, and possibly head low on deployment.

Pulling a left side chest-moutned ripcord handle at terminal is not something many jumpers have trained for. Most jumpers today have never pulled any sort of chest moutned ripcord period. As such, instability and going head low are common occurences when pulling chest mounted ripcords, and both of those lead to 'firmer' openings.

On the plus side, it typically breaks the burble, and helps the spring loaded PC get a clean launch.

It is a VERY good idea for all jumper to do some practice reserve ripcord touches in freefall. You should be able to place a hand over your reserve ripcord handle, and remian in a stable, level position.

[JohnMitchell 16]

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Most jumpers today have never pulled any sort of chest moutned ripcord period. As such, instability and going head low are common occurences when pulling chest mounted ripcords, and both of those lead to 'firmer' openings.

Wow, I had never really considered that. I started on gutter gear, so it's pretty natural to stay stable while pulling the reserve. We also train people to arch during cutaways to enhance stability. I still think it may be the last thing on some people's minds at the time.

I'm glad that guy didn't have a worse problem than he did. I think too many people pick a reserve for the pack job, not for the ride. I like my big reserve, loaded 1 to 1, because I don't know if I'll even be awake for the landing.

[Andy9o8 2]

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I think too many people pick a reserve for the pack job, not for the ride. I like my big reserve, loaded 1 to 1, because I don't know if I'll even be awake for the landing.

That is exactly how (and why) I feel about it. I know a lot of really top-notch jumpers, for whom I have tons of respect, jump sub-150 reserves. There's a recent thread in Gear & Rigging called "pd113 or smart 120?". Just looking at the title makes me cringe a bit.

[tbrown 26]

I don't know about you, but I'd say that anyone even approaching 254 is a 'big guy'.

Either way, I would imagine that in a high speed mal such as a hard pull, there's a fair chance the guy was 'less than' stable, and possibly head low on deployment.

Pulling a left side chest-mounted ripcord handle at terminal is not something many jumpers have trained for. Most jumpers today have never pulled any sort of chest moutned ripcord period. As such, instability and going head low are common occurences when pulling chest mounted ripcords, and both of those lead to 'firmer' openings.

On the plus side, it typically breaks the burble, and helps the spring loaded PC get a clean launch.

It is a VERY good idea for all jumper to do some practice reserve ripcord touches in freefall. You should be able to place a hand over your reserve ripcord handle, and remian in a stable, level position.

[riggerrob 643]

"..... probably best to pull a reserve in a kneeling up posture, so that the p/c will eject horizontally off your back and into a clean windstream. That's what the Racer owner's manual recommends. Flat & stable can produce a hesitation. .... "

......................................................................

Agreed!
Video footage of test jumps (eg. Para-Flite EOS) and intentional cutaways prove that the best position to launch a reserve pilot chute is head-high, a half second after cutting away.

Wind up the spine clears the pilot chute - off your back - the quickest.

[fcajump 164]

Keep in mind that the TSO limit also has a speed component. How many of you fall faster than 150Knots? Heck, I can do that on my belly.

Also consider that, if I recall physics correctly, true airspeed increases with altitude and that while force on the canopy increases linearly with weight, it increases exponentially with speed.

JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[upndownshop 0]

Any idea of the age, number of jumps and or packjobs? Just curious.
Now PD can say even when blown it will bring you in safely. LOL
Glad all ended well.

[dorbie 0]

The jumper said he could not reach his pilot chute, he was getting low and went for his reserve. He said he'd jumped with that gear before.

Two adjacent central ribs were torn from the bottom skin if not all the way back then VERY deep.

The jumper had a bloody lip and developing bruise on his neck from the deployment.

[RustyOats 0]

"..... probably best to pull a reserve in a kneeling up posture, so that the p/c will eject horizontally off your back and into a clean windstream. That's what the Racer owner's manual recommends. Flat & stable can produce a hesitation. .... "

......................................................................

Agreed!
Video footage of test jumps (eg. Para-Flite EOS) and intentional cutaways prove that the best position to launch a reserve pilot chute is head-high, a half second after cutting away.

Wind up the spine clears the pilot chute - off your back - the quickest. -------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------

Then why is the procedure to arch when you cut away? Arch with you knees up? Hasn't there been a few fatalities recently that involved pilot chute hesitation on a reserve?

Thanks if anyone can answer

[davelepka 4]

Quote

Agreed!
Video footage of test jumps (eg. Para-Flite EOS) and intentional cutaways prove that the best position to launch a reserve pilot chute is head-high, a half second after cutting away.

Wind up the spine clears the pilot chute - off your back - the quickest.

This may be true, but this type of advice needs to be given carefully.

Case in point is the post directly above this one. That guy is still a student with 5 jumps. He reads this, and thinks that surely this is the way to go because by all means the last thing you want is a PC hesitation on your reserve.

Howvever, I would suggest that this is the wrong impression to give newer jumpers. First of all, it introduces another 'step' to the reserve deployment process. We've all heard about the guys who take the time to 'get stable' after a cutaway, and sometimes they burn a lot of altitude in the process. Now imagine that they then have to set themselves up head high before pulling silver.

Even jumpers with an RSL, in the case of an RSL failure, or a total mal on the main, in both cases they will be in freefall needing to pull silver.

The other problem is that, much like pulling a left side chest-mounted ripcord, most jumpers have no experience adjusting their pitch attitude before or during the pull sequence. Is this really the time to be 'experimenting' with a new procedure?

The real answer is this - respect your hard deck, and in doing so you will give yourself plenty of altitude for a cutaway and reserve deployment, including a PC hesitation, all before your AAD starts paying attention.

In the event of a PC hesitation, the correct procedure is to look over one shoulder as if you were looking at a PC in tow. When you twist your body to make this check, it will allow the wind to flow across your back and catch the PC. Maintain your arch through the entire process.

Every incident where a PC hesitation has been suspect as factor involved a very low reserve deployment, or an AAD fire (which in itself is a very low reserve deployment). In all of those cases, if the reserve pull was initiated at a higher altitude, a PC hesitation would have been a non-issue.

If you feel like pulling head high is important to you, then you need to practice this skill during your main canopy deployment for a good number of jumps before attempting it on a reserve pull. You should probably do it enough times that you screw it up at least once, and manage to string together a good number of successful attempts.

Making a mistake in this area is a very serious problem. If you back loop your self into your deploying reserve/PC/freebag, you will be creating far more problems than you think you are solving.

Respect your hard deck, and deploy the canopy you intend to land at a high enough altitude to allow for deployment, and for you to make a safe landing.

[jimmytavino 16]

way to go tbrown, for being super observant, seeing and recognizing the issue, and selflessly staying WITH the jumper, to render aid, if needed...

What was the experience level of the man.??

had he ever had a reserve deployment, prior to this?

As noted,, there is a VERY good likelihood that he was head down, as the reserve deployed...

You have described a nearly identical situation, which i experienced 3 years ago...though i was wearing a jumpsuit for RW,, ( thankfully NO cameras).... and the reserve suffered no damage...
but....

i had made 2 tries for my main PC handle and came up empty.. both times.. after hanging around at the end of a 6 way... to do a 2 way... with a pal....
(was coming off an injury, and had waaay less reach, than i expected...)

i thought to myself... " well enough of THIS, I'm AAD equipped",,, and found my reserve handle left handed and yanked it.....soas to beat the cutter, to the punch...
Well yank.. was the operative word.... and I had to be tipping head to earth,, cause i ate, just ATE, my cheststrap..... it smashed me in the nose, and made it clear to me.... that "freefall was over"... I looked real hard at the canopy.. to be SURE that nothing "broke"...
good thing i was jumping a 225 ft. reserve...i had a second rig at the time with a 175..... and it's to my good fortune, that THAT rig was not used....
In fact, after pondering the point you are making... it could be time to sell that Swift+ 175.. ( purchased New, Never deployed) altogether.....it's perfectly solid for others,, but i've added a pound or two, over time...

i too have the aerodynamics of a concrete block ( but a concrete block that CAN fly ) and so choices i have made about gear and camerasuit wings, jumpsuits etc.... have been based on that...
Bigger is often better,,, in many situations and in my case Does,, apply to my canopies....

i marvel at some of the small SMALL sport rigs that i sometimes see...

"upsize , downsize, let's just stick with the right size" and if unsure , let's try to err on the side of caution....
edited to add.... Did you find the freebag???, did he keep or toss the handle... That can vary, based on whether it's the first reserve ride or the fifth...
good post

jmy
A 3914
D 12122

[hackish 8]

It would be cool if he had a digital altimeter or a vigil where you can download the jump data. I've spent some time analyzing altimeter data to see how many feet are in a hard opening and a soft opening. If the speed goes from 120 to 150 then down to 110 it could definitely give insight into the cause of the failure. I would hope that it would be in no way the fault of the rigger who packed it but I think all riggers like to know how nicely it opened...

-Michael

[billvon 3,085]

> If the speed goes from 120 to 150 then down to 110 it could definitely
>give insight into the cause of the failure.

You'd have to be head down for several seconds at least to see that sort of increase in speed. The bobble that most people go through at pull time does not change your speed, even if you go nearly head down. (I've been very close to students who do that, and have no problem staying with them.)

However, the position at opening time definitely does affect your openings.

[erdnarob 1]

I had two totals malfunctions and had to use my PD 160 reserve without any problem. Opening was super soft, on heading. I cannot dream of a better reserve. And I am a quite heavy guy. Are you sure you have deployed in a stable position ? Reserve are way stronger than the maximum speed and weight indicated by the manufacturer. Check the TSO requirements to get the right figures. The manufacturer has to put a limit a bit like the road speed limit of 65 MPH. Liability. That doesn't mean we have to exagerate. But driving at 70 when traffic is light is OK.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[erdnarob 1]

Remember that an altimeter measures the pressure not the altitude. At opening time it is likely to happen that somebody changes his position and therefore that can affect the altimeter reading (more pressure, less pressure) while the data registers that as a change of speed when there was none.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.