unusual malfunction

[erdnarob 1]

I got my 5th malfunction (in 2000+ jumps) 3 weeks ago but never I was expecting such a malfunction to happen.
Sitting in the Cessna 182, a thousand feet before jumping altitude, I got on my knees to find out that the zipper of my jumpsuit was open by 3 inches near the crotch. I moved the zipper handle down completely and up with great difficulty (you all know how bad a zipper can be when undone). When the handle was up I noticed that the 2 sides of the jumpsuit were not even and I that the zipper was still slightly open at the crotch. I decide to go that way since we were arriving at jumping altitude. I was following a student making his first 30 second delay. Three seconds after exit, my jumpsuit zipper came open completely. So far no problem but my jumpsuit was quite inflated. When I saw the student pulling, I tracked away and reached for my BOC hackey. Nothing first then I tried a second time without any success then I pull my reserve handle. I looked over to see my PD reserve 160 fully open (what a soft opening) it was my first total malfunction. I flew nicely back at the landing area and had a soft landing. During my descent at 1500 I look at my pilot chute and freebag. Nothing at all. Since there were people watching I assumed that some of them would have seen my freebag. They didn't see anything at all.
The fact that I was in the sun (after 7h:00 PM) and pulled my reserve at 3500 feet that contributed to make my reserve opening unseen. I have lost the freebag and the pilot chute. Not a single person have noticed at least the direction where the assembly went.
Conclusion: When having a jumpsuit zipper problem, fix that immediately. Also, my rig is equiped with adjustable stabilizers connecting the botton of the container to the main lift web. Those stabilizers were not tacked. I suspect that they became slack in free fall due to the inflation of my jumpsuit and that had the effect to lift off from my back the main cointainer and therefore making the location of my BOC hackey higher than usual. A good lesson to learn and a 225 $ to get a new pilot chute assembly.
I had a Skyhook installed and since I had a total my reserve was pulled by the pilot chute and the Skyhook had to disconnect from the SLR which it did as designed.

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

[JohnRich 4]

That's a weird one. Glad you handled it okay.

Quote

During my descent at 1500 I look at my pilot chute and freebag. Nothing at all. Since there were people watching I assumed that some of them would have seen my freebag. They didn't see anything at all.

Did you look down and note your spot over the ground when your reserve opened? If so, you calculate about where your freebag should be. Wind speed, wind direction, descent rate of about one minute per 1,000 feet... Then go look for it in that spot. Yeah, you may not find it, but you've got to give it a try. Even if you've already ordered a replacement, if you find it, then you'll have a spare on hand for next time.

[erdnarob 1]

I know exactely where I have pulled my reserve. It was over the intersection of the runway and the main taxiway. The wind was calm (less than 5 miles per hour) and coming from 330 degrees on the ground. I have checked intensively with the help of few friends of mine at the South part of the airport, not too far first then a bit further on a wide area. Nothing. I have to say that there are many areas at the South of the airport covered with high grass. And guess what, my pilot chute ripstop color was grey. Not the most brighter color to spot. But since nobody saw what happened there is no clue for the search.

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

[hackish 8]

That Zinfandel was excellent! Thanks for that.

[Chrisky 0]

Quote

And guess what, my pilot chute ripstop color was grey.

That's why mine is neon yellow, just as the freebag and the Main PC and bridle. Cost me like 25 bucks extra for the custom colors, but hopefully it will save me the replacement cost if I ever have to cut away...

The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open.
From the edge you just see more.
... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

[JohnRich 4]

Quote

I know exactely where I have pulled my reserve. It was over the intersection of the runway and the main taxiway. The wind was calm (less than 5 miles per hour) and coming from 330 degrees on the ground. I have checked intensively with the help of few friends of mine at the South part of the airport, not too far first then a bit further on a wide area. Nothing. I have to say that there are many areas at the South of the airport covered with high grass. And guess what, my pilot chute ripstop color was grey. Not the most brighter color to spot. But since nobody saw what happened there is no clue for the search.

All right, it sounds like you did your homework for the search, and gave it your best shot. That's all you can do. At least you can rest easy knowing that you tried, so that you won't have that nagging at you.

You've probably done this too, but just a note for others. When making such a search, you also want to look UP into the treetops. Many people make the assumption that the object will be on the ground and so they keep their eyes on the ground. But many times they'll snag up in the trees, so you need to check upwards too.

[drjump 0]

You are correct John, look up. Several years ago, in Granbury, Tx. we were looking for a cut-a-way main and free bag that landed off of the airport. The main made it all the way to the ground. We found the free bag, cut-a-way handle, and reserve ripcord in three different trees. All within about one hundred yards of each other.

[Hausse 0]

Why did you already go for your reserve when you were still that high?

[drjump 0]

Hausse--What are you takling about with your question?

[Broke 0]

Because when you are on your last shot you want enough time to sort any problems out just in case the reserve is not nice to you

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[Hausse 0]

I am aware of that but 3500 seems plenty high to keep on looking for your main in order to not HAVING to use your last chance (and possibly risking a malfunction). I'm not saying take it to the basement but what made you pull silver that high?

[hookitt 0]

Quote

" Nothing first then I tried a second time without any success then I pull my reserve handle"

I do not disagree with you Hausse but people are generally taught to try twice then go for reserve.

While that is not my personal procedure, it is what I teach to new students. You will find that many people never deviate from what they learned as a new, or returning jumper, especially if they don't jump often.

Currency or a good proper sense of altitude and time to impact, plus cool reactions to something out of the ordinary, sometimes leads to different decisions. I personally would take it lower but at least he didn't just keep looking for it.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[hackish 8]

Quote

I am aware of that but 3500 seems plenty high to keep on looking for your main in order to not HAVING to use your last chance (and possibly risking a malfunction). I'm not saying take it to the basement but what made you pull silver that high?

If you were wrapped in a ball of fabric that was formerly your jumpsuit to the point you can't reach your main hackey then I'd like to have as much time as possible to get the reserve out. Perhaps the reserve handle will be equally as difficult to open. What if the jumpsuit delayed or entangled with the reserve pilot chute?

-Michael

[Broke 0]

Quote

I am aware of that but 3500 seems plenty high to keep on looking for your main in order to not HAVING to use your last chance (and possibly risking a malfunction). I'm not saying take it to the basement but what made you pull silver that high?

We can platy whatif all day something I was told never to do in my blooborne Pathogens instructor class.

Fact of the matter he couldn't find his hacky, and he is still alive today.

Job well done.

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[KellyF 16]

The lowest pull I've ever seen in my life was caused in part by a blown jumpsuit zipper. The jumper's jumpsuit blew open in freefall, then upon deployment, one of the main risers let go for unknown reasons. The jumper cutaway without having his hand on the reserve handle, took a very healthy delay trying to find and pull his reserve handle (covered by the jumpsuit) and disappeared behind trees with canopy stretch (round reserve) and line stretch. He walked away unhurt.

Sometimes you may have to modify your emergency procedures

[Hausse 0]

Quote

Quote

I am aware of that but 3500 seems plenty high to keep on looking for your main in order to not HAVING to use your last chance (and possibly risking a malfunction). I'm not saying take it to the basement but what made you pull silver that high?

If you were wrapped in a ball of fabric that was formerly your jumpsuit to the point you can't reach your main hackey then I'd like to have as much time as possible to get the reserve out. Perhaps the reserve handle will be equally as difficult to open. What if the jumpsuit delayed or entangled with the reserve pilot chute?

-Michael

See and that's the reason for my initial question of WHY he went straight to reserve. If he was wrapped up in a bunch of fabric, that definitely was the way to go but if not then I would have kept looking for at least an other 500 feet (probably more).

[erdnarob 1]

Well, I know I was high but because my Protrack told me, after and on the ground. You know, in free fall your IQ generally decreases quite a lot and you are not anymore able to perform intellectual things you would do easily on Terra Firma. Next time you jump, try in free fall to make a simple calculation by picking up 2 numbers of 2 digits and add or substract them and find the result, and tell me if you are succesful.
I pulled my reserve because I tried twice to get my hackey with no success and at the speed of 174 feet per second twice is enough. I recommend to everybody to not try more than twice to clear or try to find a way to solve a problem when having a total mal. The worst thing which can happen is losing the time perception where seemingly 3 seconds are actually 20 seconds. In case of emergency, in accident, when a person with a gun is in front of and you threatening you, it is a well known phenomenom that people are losing time perception. Beware of yourself and your perception.

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

[upndownshop 0]

Quote

Sometimes you may have to modify your emergency procedures

Yeah, especially under a grand! You know, when you have about 9.85 left in your life, that's some pretty low margins to deal with at only a 120.......

[azureriders 0]

Try once, Try twice, Try something the hell else, NO EXCEPTIONS. Now, I am not saying that pulling silver was the only "something else" that he could have tried, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't.

IMO, "3500 seems plenty high to keep on looking for your main" is a serious bad choice of words / mind set.

Maybe better to say "with 3500' of good air, after reaching twice, I would have tryed locating my container, or harness, and following it to the handle" OR "I would have tried xyz".

To keep trying something that did not work the first two times, is just bad practice. Again, just my opinion.

To the OP, good job saving your neck.

[hackish 8]

The EP's instructors teach is to try twice and if you're unsuccessful go for the silver. Should an instructor do what they teach or make up some new rules in mid-air? How about setting an example? I understand some situations require improv but this one seems fairly simple. Inflated like the michelin man and unable to reach the main hackey the silver seems like the right answer.

-Michael

[CrazyL 0]

You did great, gear is cheap.

[chrismgtis 0]

I looked for my free bag/PC for 4 or 5 hours with no luck. Then the guy that jumped with me took me right to it, within 30 feet of the road that I had walked up and down 20 times (it wasn't that easy - I had walked through briars and high grass for hours before that).

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan