Otter Door Flesh Shredder

[JohnRich 4]

Those of you who jump Otters and other aircraft with roll-up doors are most likely already aware of this particular danger, but I'll highlight it here as a fresh reminder, and for those not yet familiar with this problem.

The first element of this problem is the door design itself. The lexan door has horizontal "L" beam cross braces, with one side protruding inward. This seems to be a standard design on roll-up jump aircraft doors. See the 1st photo called "Hand1_Otter_Door" for an illustration. The second element is the floater bar at the top of the door on the inside, used as a handhold for outside floaters for exits. And the final element is a dummy like me, who holds onto the bar, knuckles outward, while the door is raised on jump run.

What happens in this situation is that the horizontal L-beam protrusion slides up and shears off the skin on the knuckles which are trapped behind the floater bar. See photo #2 "Hand2_Bloody" for an example of what that looks like. Warning: This is an "Euuwww!" photo. The problem is that there isn't enough clearance for both the L-beams and a hand - one of them has to give, and flesh isn't as tough as aluminum.

I've known about this flesh-shredding problem for years. It's gotten me before, in minor ways. But I violated the rule this weekend about always keeping your hands above the bar to pull the door up, or else way down at the bottom.

The door was a little sticky for the guy trying to open it, so I was just trying to help push it up a little. As I did so, someone unseen behind me grabbed the top edge and quickly yanked it upward and open. This sucked my hand under the bar, and the next L-beam promptly shredded my knuckles.

I had about 15 seconds to get the pain and blood under control, and to make sure that the hand could operate as required for a safe dive, and then I exited for my dive. I managed to concentrate on the dive sequence and didn't screw-up anything. But by the time I got to the ground, the hand was a bloody mess.

Fortunately, it looked worse than it was. A trip to the wash room to clean up the wounds showed that it mostly wasn't that bad, just one deep flap of flesh over the middle knuckle that's going to take a while to heal. See photo #3 "Hand3_Cleaned".

I applied a rough field dressing on the hand to protect the wounds, using a paper towel and gaffer's tape. See photo #4, "Hand4_Field_Dressing".

I checked my flexibility with that hand to ensure I could pull handles with it, and then I was back up in the air two loads later.

Lesson #1: Keep your hands away from the bar when the door is being raised!!!
Lesson #2: If you see a dummy like me with their hands in the wrong place, don't shred their hands...

[phoenixlpr 0]

Have you used gloves?

[beowulf 1]

Yeah I have done that before.

[airdvr 197]

+1 Felt like I was about to leave my hand with the plane.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[jimmytavino 16]

the part about the "helper" from behind who yanks the door in an effort assist.......caught my attention...

That is sometimes, part of the "door freak-out" which seems to occur whenever the first light comes on

HURYY!!! HURRY! HURRY! HURRY!!!!

and DOOOOOOR!!!!!!!!!! and the usual accompanying 'hysteria' from some.....

people need to chill out....
unless you're @ 2 grand and the wing just fell off...... RELAX.....

whoever is spotting,, or else the floaters for the requisite 'first out' belly-way,
can quite capably raise the door,, ( in an orderly fashion,,,,) especially if they fly those slots regularly....

i know that people like to help,,, but there is plenty of time, especially if you have a saavy pilot, who ALLOWS 5 or 6 seconds before giving the Green...

Sorry for your hand... tough lesson...
AND it's true,, there's often NOT alot of room between the aluminum frame members and the floater bar...
The door should be "eased open" and not THROWN open, AND it needs to go all the way UP,, so that the Bottom frame members are NOT still close to the floater bar..
if the spotter or floaters are too busy to check on that,,,,,,THEN the first inside divers, could assume that job,,, and ease the door all the way to the stops...from within the cabin, before the camera and floaters start out...

Fast and hectic,, is bad. Slow and smooth is good. Plus it reduces the wear and tear factor on the door.,, and aircraft owners LOVE that consideration..
jmy

[JohnRich 4]

Quote

Have you used gloves?

Gloves would help, but I don't like to wear them because of the reduction in the sense of feel. This is one of the prices I pay for that choice.

[BillyVance 34]

Also, leave any rings on your fingers on the ground. I nearly had my finger amputated when my wedding band got caught on the "L" floater bar out the door when setting up a floater exit and the next guy out pushed me further out before I had a chance to adjust my grip. OW!!! Got a nice big blood blister for it.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[councilman24 36]

You know, over the many years of throwing static line students and busting up my knuckles several times I started wear gloves all the time. (I pulled the sl's by hand instead of letting the airplane pull it) Now it seems strang if I jump without them. Kind of like jumping in shorts and a t shirt instead of a jumpsuit. Even when I'm WEARING t shirt and shorts I often wear gloves. Just got used to them. I prefer to have my necessary hands protected.

Not in any way to imply you should. Just something I've gotten used to.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[airtwardo 6]

Quote

You know, over the many years of throwing static line students and busting up my knuckles several times I started wear gloves all the time. (I pulled the sl's by hand instead of letting the airplane pull it) Now it seems strange if I jump without them. Kind of like jumping in shorts and a t shirt instead of a jumpsuit. Even when I'm WEARING t shirt and shorts I often wear gloves. Just got used to them. I prefer to have my necessary hands protected.

Not in any way to imply you should. Just something I've gotten used to.

Yup...same here, I can't ever remember NOT wearing gloves.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[phoenixlpr 0]

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Gloves would help, but I don't like to wear them because of the reduction in the sense of feel. This is one of the prices I pay for that choice.

I stick to my think leather gloves even in the hottest summer too after shedding my palm with the glass rolling door of a 206.

They are really expensive like even 4 euros. It would take a week or more for my palm to heal.....

[erdnarob 1]

I know that I am a bit out of the subject but here is my chance to warn the people about having the extra metal cable and ball of the ripcord handle unprotected. This concerns especially the rear floater when he/she pushes his/her body against the fuselage near the vertical rear edge of the Twin Otter, Caravan, King Air, Pac 750...door. The protruding extra cable and ball can become caught in a little slot of the door metal structure. At the launch that can generate an instant reserve activation with possibly the reserve canopy caught in the A/C tail and stabilizer. That occurrence happened in Germany few years ago and reported in Skydiving Magazine. The jumper got his reserve clear after few seconds but for a little while that situation scarred everybody aboard. Since I read this article I always put that extra reserve cable + ball inside the reserve pocket. We could call that post <>

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

[Reginald 0]

Quote

Quote

Have you used gloves?

Gloves would help, but I don't like to wear them because of the reduction in the sense of feel.

LOL. Just read it again... LOL...LOL...

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

[councilman24 36]

Promote Safe Skydiving!

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[diverdriver 5]

Quote

Quote

Have you used gloves?

Gloves would help, but I don't like to wear them because of the reduction in the sense of feel. This is one of the prices I pay for that choice.

Damn that sucks Rich. Sorry to hear that happened and thanks for sharing.


...oh and ... DAMN! You are one tough son of gun. Went back up?

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[NovaTTT 1]

I always wear gloves (the hand kind!). I like the certain grip they give against the aircraft, the insulation against the cool air at altitude. And they protect against the minor abrasions and scrapes that happen inside the plane and hanging on outside.

Wilson wide-receiver football gloves are thin, have good grip-traction and look good after the "W" logo is removed.

"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

[Scrumpot 1]

Seems simple enough, and thanks for the "bloody reminder", John.

Another thought on this, is the same can happen when CLOSING the door too, if you let your hand get above the hang-bar while you are closing the door, say for instance after it has been open after passing 1k, at 6-7k AGL as everyone starts getting cold. Don't ask me how I also know about this one too! I'll save everyone the extra pictures, which would clearly be "overkill" to this thread, at this point.

Blues,
-Grant

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[mjosparky 3]

John,

The trick is to be smarter than the door.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[jtnesbitt 0]

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and DOOOOOOR!!!!!!!!!! and the usual accompanying 'hysteria' from some.....

Ah come on, don't take away my favorite way to irritate the bellyflyers

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[piisfish 135]

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...oh and ... DAMN! You are one tough son of gun. Went back up?

are you asking if teh plane was still airworthy after a door collision with John's hand ?

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[diverdriver 5]

Quote

Quote

...oh and ... DAMN! You are one tough son of gun. Went back up?

are you asking if teh plane was still airworthy after a door collision with John's hand ?

That wasn't clear?

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[klingeme 0]

This happened to me once in Deland, and when I went to manifest and asked for a Band-Aid becuase I got an "Otter Bite" she was shocked that the animals were on the DZ.

Mark Klingelhoefer

[RMURRAY 1]

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Since I read this article I always put that extra reserve cable + ball inside the reserve pocket.

that solution can cause another problem. it can have the same effect as a cable that is too short and when the main deploys the reserve cable is put in tension - could deploy the reserve. My opinion....fix the root cause.

for the door bite issue....maybe a good idea is one person operates the door, even if it takes some effort.

R

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

You know that Skydiving is a dangerous physical activity that may result in serious injury..., right John?




But seriously, been there done that.

Now a days, I tend not to grab the bar like that when the door is down and/or don't rest my hands there when kneeling in the back of the plane.

I also tend to look to see no one has their hands in the way before opening the door too so I don't hurt someone else.

[peggs82 0]

Yes the otter...the most dangerous of all animals! Beware of the otter bite!!

I sit and watch every year at zhills as otter newbies attempt to "help" their friends close the door... You can just see it coming

Do not evvvveeeerrrrr help!

[quade 3]

If you're really aware of it, you just don't put your hands there to begin with.

For the vast majority of my skydiving career I sat in the one seat that could maintain some modicum of control over the entire door situation, against the rear bulkhead and next to the door looking forward. My left foot was usually planted on the bottom of the door holding it down until I made certain people's hands were clear and I always cringed when people would try to "help" by doing stupid things. People should never hold on to the floater bar or put their hands on the door in a way that will suck their hand into the door if somebody ties to open or close it prematurely.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver