velo90 0 #1 November 5, 2003 It was a busy day at the dropzone for Tandem video’s and I was asked to do two in loads 10 & 11. Obviously no time to pack in between so I borrowed Andys rig for the second jump. All went well and I set about packing Andy’s rig. As I was stowing the lines I noticed that the elastic bands holding the lines seemed a little loose so I decided to loop the bands around twice. Then they seemed a little to tight so just before I put the D-bag in the container I asked Andy if he loops the bands round twice or just once. He said once so I set about to pull the lines back out but he stopped me. He said, “Leave it as it is, I just know to pull a bit higher next time I jump”. As the day went on I found that I needed to do a back to back jump again. Tandem video and then a RW jump. Of course you can guess whose rig I borrowed for the RW jump. The RW went well, we separated and at about 3000ft I pulled. You notice immediately when things don’t go as planned. I thought, shit I am still in freefall and its those stupid elastic bands (I always use tube stows). I went straight for my handles and then a second thought popped into head. It’s not my rig and the owner will be pissed when I give it back with the reserved popped. Still a bit time to sort the problem out. I grabbed the risers and gave them an almighty yank downwards. Ahh , a couple of the stows have come loose, Another yank, another and out came the canopy. Then came the second problem, a lot of line twists. I had not yet heard my hard deck warning on my pro-track and decided to check my altitude. 1500ft … is the canopy spinning, no it isn’t so I set about getting out of the twists. Fortunately it was a canopy that more or less frees itself of line twists and I was quickly out of them and able to land OK. That was the scariest jump I have ever done. When I look back at the incident I keep wondering, would I have heard my pro tracks final scream and chopped? Why did I not chop straight away? A reserve re-pack is not that expensive. No visual altitude checks until the canopy was out, did I really know how quickly I was losing altitude. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dagny 0 #2 November 5, 2003 That is a scary jump. And let me preface this by stating that I probably have no business commenting due to my low low jump numbers. HOWEVER, If you felt like you should have chopped then you should have. Hesitation kills. Gut instinct can be a really good and reliable friend. Your friend might have been pissed about a reserve repack. But, I dare say he would have been more pissed if you'd bled all over his rig after bouncing. And I'd rather share a beer with my friend who had a successful cutaway then toast my friend blue skies forever. Very glad to hear you were able to work it out at a decent alti and make it to the ground intact! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #3 November 5, 2003 If you borrow a rig, once you leave the plane, it's your rig, they're your handles, pull them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velo90 0 #4 November 5, 2003 Quote If you felt like you should have chopped then you should have. It was just instinct to go for the handles. Pulled, nothing happening, EP. Then I thought that chopping without making any attempt to clear the malfuction seemed wrong. It was only after the jump that I thought maybe it would have been better to cutaway immediately. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CrazyDave 0 #5 November 5, 2003 Quote If you borrow a rig, once you leave the plane, it's your rig, they're your handles, pull them. nicely said Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deronde 0 #6 November 5, 2003 This may sounds strange, but I'm just glad it scared the bejesus out of you. I'd be really worried if it hadn't... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WrongWay 0 #7 November 5, 2003 Quote Quote If you borrow a rig, once you leave the plane, it's your rig, they're your handles, pull them. nicely said Ditto. Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluegremlin 0 #8 November 5, 2003 your crazy, You should have just choped, im sure he wouldnt have minded that much. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluegremlin 0 #9 November 5, 2003 Your crazy. You should have choped and thats the bottom line, if something went wrong such as not being able to get the twists out in time then you might have lost your chance to cut away. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #10 November 5, 2003 I think the concern about the cost of a repack, or someone being upset about the need for a repack (or even possible loss of handle(s), main, and freebag) should be categorized as "ground worries" and not taken with you into freefall. In freefall, the higher priority is staying alive (and where possible, in one piece). Personally, with <40 jumps, if I pulled, received only a weenie jerk with no immediate opening "surf", and looked up to see a bag on lines, I would do my reserve procedures pronto because "still a bit of time" would not be in my vocabulary right then. -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
batbex 0 #11 November 5, 2003 I know everyone's saying you're crazy for not chopping - but when I had my mal (granted it was a line over so there was some canopy out slowing me down) the first and last thing on my mind was chopping - an overwhelming sense of 'I don't want to cut away' 'it'll open ok''any second now' 'no seriously open' 'oh shit I don't want to cut away' 'maybe if I release the brakes....' in fairness it didn't look like a line over, it just looked like half of it wasn't open and was about to any second - as soon as I released the brakes it flipped on its side and started spinning me like a top, at which point I chopped without any hesitation. I just think misplaced or not - that the last thing you want to do is cut away a canopy if there's any possibility at all that it might right itself. My scariest jump - was the one directly after that! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 5 #12 November 5, 2003 There is another problem here. I think the pilot chute needs replacing if merely double wrapping the stows results in a bag lock. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Liemberg 0 #13 November 5, 2003 Quote It’s not my rig and the owner will be pissed when I give it back with the reserved popped. Try giving it back after you have been bleeding all over it and the paramedics have cut the harness in pieces... I'm sure what most owners prefer... "Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but memory." - Leonardo da Vinci A thousand words... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck 0 #14 November 5, 2003 I don't think you did anything wrong. Provided you are fully aware of your altitude, there is nothing wrong with trying to sort out a mal - until you reach your pre-determined hard deck. That's the nice thing about pulling at 3000 instead of 2200 - you actually have time to deal with shit. Canuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
usedtajump 1 #15 November 5, 2003 Had a bag lock on a tandem jump and elected to cut away but no matter how hard I pulled on the cut away handle it wouldn't budge. Well, my only option left was to dump the reserve into what was already up there and hope it cleared. Fortunately, after a couple of tension filled moments of doubt, it cleared and opened. The baglock was then suspended below us and I hauled in baglock, drouge and all the lines I could just in case it decided to start coming out of the bag. I handed the bag and drogue to my passenger and told him to hang on to it and not let it get away from him. After that, the jump was pretty uneventful and the student was pretty calm considering what we had been through. Can't remember the cause of the cut away system problem but we later found out that it was not an uncommon occurance for that particular tandem system in the early 90s.The older I get the less I care who I piss off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BBKid 0 #16 November 5, 2003 What canopy does your friend use? I'm assuming it's not anything like your Velocity - that really would be shit scary! Nick --------------------------- "I've pierced my foot on a spike!!!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ripper0289 0 #17 November 5, 2003 I'm still a way green rookie, I have no idea how much a reserve repack costs, but working as an RN, I don't think it would be nearly as much as medical bills. Glad things worked out, though Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
twnsnd 1 #18 November 5, 2003 I would always rather see my friend come back with half of my rig, than my rig come back with half of my friend. -We are the Swoophaters. We have travelled back in time to hate on your swoops.- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lee03 0 #19 November 6, 2003 Haven't had one..yet.. but considering the fact that I have only had 13 jumps to date.. i'm sure a scarey one will be in my future at some point in the future!-------- To put your life in danger from time to time ... breeds a saneness in dealing with day-to-day trivialities. --Nevil Shute, Slide Rule Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoShitThereIWas 0 #20 November 6, 2003 Wow, Velo Glad to hear you are safe and everything turned out okay. I had a similar experience with line twists and I recall checking my altimeter at 1800 feet which was 200 feet below my hard deck set on my ProTrack. When I got on the ground I asked myself, did my Protrack not beep at my last warning altitude or did I just not hear it? Or did I hear it but at that moment my mind was so focused on dealing with a malfunctioning canopy that I did not recall hearing the beep? The bottom line is that I would not rely on hearing a beep. Dytters fail all the time, especially when they run out of batteries. I was glad that I remembered the little voice in my mind that said don't forget to check your altimeter and see how low you are. I was lower than I thought and realized I was coming super close within a second or two of cutting away and pulling the reserve. Since I was already well on my way to getting out of the line twists I continued to finish that feat and see the outcome before cutting away. I had the gut feeling that it would be okay and I was right. I recovered the canopy 100%. I am so glad that one of my friends is still here after a close call relying on a dytter. Sometimes, I think our perception of time is altered in certain situations like having to use your emergency procedures, unless you are just one of those pros at it and have tons of cutaways. I still have never cut away a main parachute (knock on WOOD) but have been amazed at how much time actually passes by having a high speed mal when it can feel like time is in slow motion. That is why I like being fresh on my Emergency Procedures and like them to be as automatic as possible. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
michaelflying 0 #21 November 6, 2003 If your mate is willing to let you use the rig he is willing to let it be chopped. He would rather have a mate than a rig on the ground. That's my feelingwww.skydivekzn.co.za Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velo90 0 #22 November 6, 2003 Quote What canopy does your friend use? I'm assuming it's not anything like your Velocity - that really would be shit scary! My friend's canopy is a Nitro 108, (Nitron in the US). My experience with the Nitro is that they untwist themselves in most cases. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Antithesis 0 #23 November 6, 2003 My scariest jump was a night jump. Because of strange circumstances I was the only person in the sky and the only person jumping. It was also blowing 15 to 20 gusting to 30. Being the only person in the sky I decided to really work my heatwave. I was open at 4500 to enjoy my view but lost altitude rapidly because of the hard banking toggle turns and dive combinations that I was performing. All of which I had done many of in day light. However at around 2500 ft I made a hard right toggle flared out of it then hard left toggle downwind rapidly-- My next response was HOLY SHIT! I swear that I touched my canopy fabric with my left hand and my canopy immediatley twisted up about 6 or 7 times locking my left toggle into turning position. I lost altitude rapidly and should have cut away... The g's that I experienced were severe but I'm a fighter and believed that I could untwist my lines.. So I started kicking my feet and spreading my risers. My hard deck beeper went off as I had loosened the twists enough for my break line to return to normal position and slowed down but did not stop my spins. I had my hand on the pillow but looked down to notice that I was directly above the airport and a long row of planes and concrete and looked up again and made the final choice to keep working on the twists. I took a breath and swung my body the opposite direction in a barrel roll maneuver and unspun all the way to about 200 feet where I had time to set up and flare (coincidentally near the spot where I normally land) crosswind. Please save the criticism here If I could do this jump again I would cut away at a higher altitude instead of taking so much time to correct my problem adding unnecessary risk. I travel the land, Work in the ocean, Play in the sky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tunaplanet 0 #24 November 11, 2003 I have had only 2 close calls. One was a streamer that I finally got corrected at 1,500 and the other was a HAHO jump at 30,000 feet where my oxygen stopped working the moment I jumped and pulled. The scariest moment was not even a jump. Last year I was in California visiting a friend and went to do some skydiving while I was out there. There was 4 of us in the back. One of these morons got hung up on something and accidentally deployed his chute. The canopy immediately flew out the door. What did this genius do? Did he do what you're supposed to do which is follow it out? Of course not. He tried to freakin fight it. Needless to say gravity won and this idiot was at an odd angle and went right through the side of the plane near the door, taking me with him. He smacked me pretty hard. Felt like he broke my jaw, but all turned out good. He turned out ok, minor bumps and bruises. I regained control and made it safe. This was the first and only time I was in a plane when someone's canopy opened. Weird shit. Forty-two Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Antithesis 0 #25 November 12, 2003 How did he go through the side of the plane? Through the door? In any event .. Whoa!! Holy shit!! that could have taken the whole plane down! It's good to be ALIVE isn't it!! I travel the land, Work in the ocean, Play in the sky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
