Disaster avoided

[fundgh 0]

I want to share a landing that I had last weekend that made me glad that I am not a dummy.
It was my first jump in 2 months (out due to motorcylce injury) and I was trying to do everything as safe as possible. I was on approach for a 90 degree front riser landing. When I grabbed my riser, i felt something wrong and looked up to see that I was not in the dive loop. I adjusted my grip and looked down to find that I was much lower that I wanted to be to finish the turn on a front riser. I immediately grabbed breaks and hung to complete a flat turn, yet there was not enough altitude for me to FEEL SAFE turning into the wind. I made some slight adjustments for a slight downwind landing into an open field, then let off the breaks for my landing. I came in fast and held the flare to the last possible moment. As I took two giant running steps in the soft plowed dirt, I went into the tuck and roll the skateboarding taught me so well. I came out looking like I had hibernating in the the dirt, but there was not impact force an any part of my body and I walked away laughing and proud that I made a good decision at a critical moment.

...FUN FOR ALL!

[davelepka 4]

Don't pat yourself on the back for getting lucky. You made an assortment of bad choices, and your story doesn't even make sense.

I can't imagine a good setup for a front riser 90 that wouldn't allow you to flat turn into the wind, or at least crosswind into your intended landing area.

Why are you doing a front riser approach on your first jump after a layoff (for an injury no less)?

Why are you using your front risers for landing if you can't yet do a basic flat turn?

Why are you looking away from your setup and traffic during a critical phase of your setup?

Why are you using your front risers without having practiced at higher altitudes untill it's second nature to grab your dive loop?

Why are you using your front riser at a low altitiude without having become comforable grabbing the riser or the dive loop?

Seriously, the list goes on. Take it easy for 50 or 100 jumps just to get back into the groove of jumping.

[ManBird 0]

Hell, I did a straight in landing on my Katana 97 because I hadn't jumped it in three weeks (did more BASE than skydiving last month). And from there, I only did 180s into the wind (I usually do 270s -- often downwind). Take it easy and practice up top.

"¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯"

Click

[fundgh 0]

Thanks for your input.

...FUN FOR ALL!

[wmw999 2,584]

On the other hand, by keeping the emergency procedure of PLFs current, you were able to avoid that last link the the chain. Congrats on that one. You looked way cooler walking back in than if you'd been laying there groaning about what a dumbass you were...

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[meatbomb 0]

Quote

I was trying to do everything as safe as possible.

+

Quote

I was on approach for a 90 degree front riser landing.

=

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Swoopert, CS-Aiiiiiii!
Piccies

[ccowden 0]

I agree totally here.

I hope you look at these questions and can see the problems. I also don't understand how you can say you were trying to be as safe as possible when simply missing a dive loop resulted in what you describe as a very dramatic and dangerous outcome. Missing a dive loop at the start of a 270 degree approach on a crossbraced loaded at 2.3 should, at worst, only result in a less than perfect entry to the swoop. But you should still be able to finish the entire turn and swoop. If you couldn't finish your turn after simply missing a dive loop, then you were definitely too low at the initiation point. You couldn't even finish a 90 degree turn? That would suggest that you were WAY in the corner before you even started.

The other thing I don't get is how you said you landed slight downwind. You say you were set up for a 90, which should have already put you crosswind. You then started a flat turn, made some adjustments, and landed slightly downwind?? Maybe I am missing something, but if you turned even 45 degrees, which I hope you atleast had the altitude to do that, you should have been basically faced into your landing direction.

As stated, there are a number of issues here. I hope you can see this and consider them before trying any more front riser approaches. Do more practicing up high so that you never have to take your eye off things to get a dive loop and stick to conventional appraches for awhile until you get more consistant with set up altitudes.

If a "safe" appraoch for a 90 degree front riser turn results in a post entitled, "Disaster avoided" there is a major problem. I have said this time and again, don't be in a hurry. Please take your time and move into performance landings cautiously and slowly. I didn't even pick up a front riser for landing until around jump 600. Sure you can do it sooner, but my point is, don't rush it. Glad you are ok and atleast willing to hear feedback. That is a good start.

[pilotdave 0]

Sounds like the disaster was avoided when you missed the dive loop in the first place. If you were too low to flat turn, imagine how bad a front riser turn woulda been.

I also try to do everything as safe as possible, which is why I don't touch my front risers below 1000 feet... yet. I personally don't think I have enough jumps to be messing with that stuff. I'm in no rush to break anything. Slow down so you can swoop when you have enough experience to swoop.

Edit: geez I just read your whole profile. Reads just like an incident report.

Dave

[fundgh 0]

Again, I appreciate the input, and I am being open minded despite my instinct to feel defensive. Some points of clarity... I was on the cross wind leg with altitude overly sufficient for the 90. My plan (as usual) was to make the 90 and then bleed off excess altitude with double fronts. I understand that the whole point of doing the 90 with a front riser is lost if I don't do it low enough to plane out, but like I said I am taking it slow. The most significant mistake was not having my hands in the dive loops to begin with. When I grabbed the dive loop, it didn't feel right, and I glanced up to verify my grip, and adjusted for the turn. As I began the turn, I didn't feel comfortable with chain of events and aborted the whole thing altogether. I thought about and began to make a flat turn by puttin on the brakes, but decided not to turn at all because I preferred not to make a 90 to land into a light wind. I chose to land crosswind (with a slight downwind component due to shape of the landing field). I let it ride landed safely and enjoyed it. I know that people of different experience levels judge others differently, and some people learn to skydive in cultures that are predispositioned for major injuries. (I have been flying my sabre 150 since jump 25 based on recommendations from my instructor and DZO), but I understand what happens. I have been first on scene to somebody flying their canopy into the ground, I know how easy it is for things to go bad in a hurry. I did make some mistakes on that first jump back. I forgot that I can land straight in (I have been 90s for the last 75 jumps). I tried to do too much on a refresher jump. But I didn't try to force it, and I feel that is what kills. People thinking that they are good enough, people thinking that if they pull harder on the toggle they will get around before they get to the ground, people thinking that they need a faster canopy to have more fun, people thinking they need a smaller canopy to fit in their little rig, etc, etc are certainly a problem. People who make mistakes and end up low, or lined up with an object are no less likely to get killed turning too fast and too low. I understand these things, and wanted to share an experience where a BETTER decision was made once the circumstances had been established. I didn't mean to brag or pat myself on the back. I am not rejecting the advice or scrutiny, thanks for input.

...FUN FOR ALL!