Cypress Malfunction

[Albatross 0]

O.K. has anyone ever heard of thiscypress malfunction before. After a problimatic 4 way we went to break off and Shark sees a piolot chute coming out of my friends container. When I dump I see Shark and DZbone but not my friend. Finally I see him 1000' above me riding his reserve. We get down and confirm that his cypress fired at between 3500-4000'. He made 3 other jumps so we know that it wasn't set incorrectly and we ahve both visual and Pro-Track confirmation of the altitude. Anyone else know abou this.
Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO
Albatross

[skymedic 0]

holy crap................I sure hope this doesn't happen to me. was he tracking when it happened? and how did he feel afterwards? did he have to change his pants?
I'd like to know more about this too.
Marc
A-38578

[Albatross 0]

My friend is fine. He was tracking when it happened and said that it was a slightly hard opening. As for his shorts, although I didn't check (guy friend) he said that he was under a perfect blue reserve by the time he had any idea what was going on.
Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO
Albatross

[skymedic 0]

I'm sure this is gonna be a stupid question and all but your sure it was a cypres fire and that the pin didn't get knocked around some how in the formation you guys had.
that was my only thought...but I am sure you probably know the cutter fired and all that...never mind stupid idea to bring up. just trying to figure this one out
;
things that make you go HMMMMMMMMM...
Marc
A-38578

[Albatross 0]

Yeah the handle was still there and the riggers tag was still on the pin and the loop still there. We also saw the fired cutting apperatus.
Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO
Albatross

[skymedic 0]

interesting, I will ask around at the DZ this week.
Marc
Did somebody call a medic

[Geoff 0]

Have you contacted Airtec?
They take a very close interest in any strange incidents involving Cypres's. Also, I'm not certain, but I think the Cypres unit may record information about the last descent and so give some clue to what happened.
Geoff

[ClayFowler 0]

That sucks!!!!!!!!! Thats why I dont fly shit that pulls for me.
"I want to fly like a silly angel, Lean for the sky, straight into the sun"-Fuel
Clay

[weid14 0]

How old was the unit - did he have the little protector for EMF radiation installed? Airtec will take an interest in it for sure. The unit does store the data and they can extract and examine it.

[Aviatrr 0]

Quote

Yeah the handle was still there and the riggers tag was still on the pin and the loop still there. We also saw the fired cutting apperatus.

I assume you guys had this CYPRES fire confirmed by a rigger, but you stated that the pin and loop was still there.. Well, of course the pin is still there, but the loop should not be if the CYPRES fired.. The CYPRES fire would have severed the closing loop, and the chances of the cut loop staying with the jumper are very slim..
Definitely talk to Airtec.. They will want to know about this, and probably want to examine the unit.. Make sure to send it certified mail.. Rumor has it that some units that have mis-fired have "never made it" to their facility..
I witnessed a CYPRES mis-fire from about 2 feet about a year ago.. Suprised the hell out of me.. It was a fairly new unit, too - no RF shield required(built in, I suppose)..
Mike

[alan 1]

"was he tracking when it happened?"
If he was tracking properly he could expect a reasonably soft opening. A good track will result in a slower airspeed than a normal face to earth opening. You will have a faster forward (horizontal) velocity but a slower vertical velocity and the resultant vectored airspeed is actually slower. If you are a poor tracker (dive more than you track, then you may experience a slammer.
alan

[alan 1]

"Well, of course the pin is still there, but the loop should not be if the CYPRES fired.. The CYPRES fire would have severed the closing loop, and the chances of the cut loop staying with the jumper are very slim.."
The bottom half of the loop will almost certainly bein the retainer in the reserve pack tray and it can easily be examined to determine if it was cut. It does not take a rigger to deteremine if the CYPRES cutter has activated or not. It is also very possible for the top half of the loop to stay in the reserve pack tray. It is over the reserve pin and may very well stay in the jumpers burble and "fall" into the pack tray.
alan

[Aviatrr 0]

Quote

The bottom half of the loop will almost certainly bein the retainer in the reserve pack tray and it can easily be examined to determine if it was cut. It does not take a rigger to deteremine if the CYPRES cutter has activated or not. It is also very possible for the top half of the loop to stay in the reserve pack tray. It is over the reserve pin and may very well stay in the jumpers burble and "fall" into the pack tray.

I agree with what you wrote, but I don't think I made clear what I meant.. When he said the loop was still there, I took that to mean intact - which would indicate to me the CYPRES did not release the reserve..
Of course it does not take a rigger to determine if the cutter has activated - but I am under the impression that they didn't know exactly what they were looking for/seeing..
Mike

[Albatross 0]

O.K. what I ment was that half of the loop was attached to the bottom and the other half was still around the pin. Yes we had it confirmed by a rigger and the unit was sent to Airtec.
Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO
Albatross

[Aviatrr 0]

Quote

O.K. what I ment was that half of the loop was attached to the bottom and the other half was still around the pin. Yes we had it confirmed by a rigger and the unit was sent to Airtec.

I read this thread(and replied to it) before I read the responses to my question in Talk Back.. The responses you guys gave in Talk Back made it very obvious that the CYPRES cut the loop....I just hadn't seen that part when I posted my reply here.. Sorry..
Mike

[Shark 0]

He was NOT tracking when I saw the pc/bridle. Nick was still facing in, towards the formation.