Interesting wartime story

[RobOC 0]

Hi All,

My neighbour told me the following story which you may find
interesting. He is also very interested in what would have happened if
he hadnt have removed the belt when he did. I said I'd post on here to
see if any experts knew, or could offer a best guess. If you need any
more information I can get it for you.


What follows is my neighbour's account.


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


In 1945, during army (Airborne) manoeuvres, I did a routine parachute
jump over Salisbury Plain. Opening procedure was automatic, as our
chute static lines were attached to a cable inside the plane.


I had foolishly fitted a belt around my waist after connecting up my
chute, not realising that I had trapped the static line, with the
result that the tightening of the static line could only attempt to
pull the canopy out of the pack, down between my belt and my body. Not
the way it was supposed to go. In the event, I was just able to
release the belt in time, with the result that my chute opened
correctly.


I am very keen to know exactly what would have happened if I had
failed to release the belt? Clearly, the canopy would have tried to
feed itself in between my body and the belt, and this would have been
impossible.


My recollection of the parachute operating procedure is that, in
addition to First Ties, (or Primary Ties? I don't remember the proper
name) which would snap at the first pull, thereby opening the envelope
of the pack, there was a "Final Tie" attaching the very tip of the
canopy to the end of the static line. This Final Tie was only intended
to break at the point when the canopy had left the pack, followed by
the rigging-lines, and only when the whole length of canopy and
rigging lines were extended and taut, that is when the final tie was
intended to snap, at which point the canopy would open..


I have heard tell of parachutes of that type which did not release,
(although I don't understand how this could happen, since the final
tie had a breaking-point measured only in pounds) and the jumper
dangled behind the plane until he was either pulled back aboard the
plane (by at least two very strong guys!) or having the static line
cut with a knife, from inside the plane, whilst passing over a lake. I
never came across this first hand, but I understand that survival rate
in this sort of incident is extremely low.


I really want to ascertain just what WOULD have happened, step by
step, if I had been unable to release the belt in time.


Is there anybody out there who knows?

[riggerrob 643]

Two possible outcomes.
First, the parachute would probably have slipped out from under the belt and opened.
Secondly, if the belt was ridiculously tight, then you would have been dragged behind the airplane by your static-line. I doubt if even two big, strong guys would have been able to pull you back into the airplane.

As for cutting your static-line over a lake ... Hee! Hee! ... the only reason is to make the clean-up easier!
Hee!
Hee!

[MikeD10834 0]

RobOC,

As a former rigger in the Army, which also entails having to be airborne qualified, I may be able to shed a bit of light on the story but perhaps more qualified folks will chime in. It's been 20 years and I'm going by memory, so I hereby reserve the right to be totally fucking wrong.

At anyrate, the actual line attaching the parachute to the d-bag is a doubled length of the same line used to close the container. I think the line has a 40 lb break, so doubled would be like 80 lbs. In a normal deployment, as the jumper leaves the aircraft and the static line is deployed and extended, the container tie is broken and the d-bag is extracted from the container. You would then go thru line stretch and the canopy is pulled from the d-bag. After the canopy is fully extended, there's more than enough force to break the double tie, thus releasing the jumper from the aircraft. Simple enough.

Now to your neighbors account...

Quote

I had foolishly fitted a belt around my waist after connecting up my chute, not realising that I had trapped the static line, with the result that the tightening of the static line could only attempt to
pull the canopy out of the pack, down between my belt and my body. Not the way it was supposed to go.

Normal procedures would be for all jumpers to go through a 'jumpmaster' check after gearing up, and prior to boarding the aircraft. Any gear added to the jumper (belt, rifle, canteen, whatever) would require the jumper to get another jumpmaster check. I find it hard to believe that a jumpmaster would have missed something like this, as their checks are fairly rigorous and includes something akin to physically touching and following the static line from the closing of the container to the metal hook used to attach the static line to the aircraft. Not that it couldn't happen mind you...

Anyway, let's assume he managed to add a standard issue GI utility belt after getting checked. If it were a normal piece of his gear, then donning it after chuting up would mean he would have to lengthen it to get it to fit around the harness container. No easy task being geared up, and he would have to shorten it again after landing. But let's suppose he managed it and look at the utility belt, specifically the metal clips. These are flimsy, made of pot metal, tin, or whatever. It certainly doesn't have the strength to withstand a jumper + gear + wind resistance + gravity, without breaking. A good jerk will likely break it, and I've infact done so... I'd even venture that the belt would break with less pressure than the d-bag / canopy attachment point.

Anyway, back to your neighbor.

Quote

In the event, I was just able to release the belt in time, with the result that my chute opened
correctly.

I suspect that he actually didn't undo the belt, and it in fact broke allowing the deployment to continue. If it didn't break, then he would most likely find himself being towed by the aircraft (there's no way the dbag stuffed with a canopy (assumming the static line opened the container...) would fit between the jumper and his belt...). Standard procedures for a jumper finding himself in this position would be to put 1 hand on his head and the other on his reserve, so the jumpmaster would 'know' that he's ready to be cut loose (as in cutting the static line and allowing the jumper to enter freefall). Regardless, there's no way a team of guys is going to pull a jumper back into the aircraft. It's not easy to pull a couple of empty dbags back into the plane, much less one with a jumper dangling at the end of one. So unless the aircraft had a wench (not the blond bimbo type) onboard, they would have had to cut him loose. Why over a lake? Don't know other than to, as riggerrob mentioned, make the clean up a bit easier.

Blue Skies...

[akjmpplt 0]

The parachutes used in 1945 were most likely the T-5.

It used a 100lb "break" tie, opened canopy first and didn't use a deployment bag.

SmugMug

[MikeD10834 0]

Well I stand corrected! Damn it, I hate it when this happens.

It's also been brought to my attention that the closing tie that I was refering to has an 80 lb break, not 40 lbs as I mentioned.

[skypuppy 1]

Guessing that you're jumping in England if the jump was over Salisbury Plain. The parachute school at Ringway and the British Parachute Battalion were using the x-type parachute WITH a d-bag, following a fatality during the start up of the school caused by the parachute malfunctioning. The conversion to d-bag was carried by Irving (who witnessed the fatality) with consultation from Gregory and Quilter from GQ parachutes, who were more familiar static-line systems.

The British system was different from the American system.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[skypuppy 1]

This might be more appropriate in the History and Trivia thread.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone