Close Call

[max 0]

I had a close call over the weekend. I want to post this experience so that anyone jumping a camera may learn from this.
While filming Tandems at my home DZ, and being the only camera man for the day, I was doing back to back loads. On one of the jumps I had to use one of the DZ's rental rigs cause mine wasnt packed yet.
Everything was uneventful during the ride to altitude, just the normal conversations on the plane. Shortly after exit, I heard a tapping sound on the back of my camera helmet, I knew that the riser cover had come open. After a few seconds I heard the tapping toward the front of my helmet, thats when I saw the Tandem Instructor give me an OKAY sign with his hand. What he was looking at was my right steering line flapping around my helmet after working loose. His passenger was stable and he continued to watch me and the altitude.
A few seconds later he gave me the pull signal. I instantly tucked my chin to my chest and deployed my main. He had waited to signal me until the line moved away from the helmet and went towards the bottom of my pack.
The canopy ride and landing were as normal as could be. After reviewing the tape you could see the line and toggle hitting the lens of the camera and fluttering all around the head.
I had alot of luck on my side during that jump, but also I had a heads up Tandem Instructor who assessed the situation and gave the pull signal at the right time. So I guess if there is a lesson hidden here somewhere it would be to look out for yourself and definately the other jumpers you are with. If we all look after each other it will keep more of us in the air.
Max

[Krishan 0]

damn, that's sketchy. Glad everything ended okay.
You know what they say about borrowed gear..............

[DZBone 0]

Thank God for heads-up friends. We should all be so lucky.

[Shark 0]

Max,
Good thing you're okay. But did you buy bier for the TM?

• Quote

[quade 3]

-YOU- are one luck guy.
Ya know it's not just because of borrowed gear that stuff like this happens though. I've watched with curiosity as people -don't- stow their excess brake line loops when they're packing and I always ask "why?"
I hear the stupidest answers like; "oh, it's too much trouble" or "I gotta make the next load."
Spooky.
All it takes is for a loop of it to come out and grab something.
I assume this was the problem in your case since actual lines have a tendancy to get packed without too much slack.
Stay cool. Carry a big hook knife.
Paul
futurecam.com/skydive.html

[max 0]

Beer?...wouldn't this be a case like a rigger's save and buy him a bottle. If you really think about it, the TM saved my life.

[Michele 1]

I am so glad you're o.k.!
Whew!
Michele

[starzwithaz 0]

You know what they say....(you gotta love the say people) "Knowledge is Power".
That is what I love about this sport, no matter who you are or where you come from, the camradarie is maintained.
Buy that TM a beer!!!
Blue Skies and Sandy Beaches
Starzwithaz

[Grogs 0]

Quote

Beer?...wouldn't this be a case like a rigger's save and buy him a bottle. If you really think about it, the TM saved my life.

We usually buy our rigger whatever the heck he wants. In my case, my rigger is French, so I bought him a nice bottle of Merlot, but if he wanted a case of beer instead I'd have no problem with that.
We actually had a similar incident happen to us this weekend. One of our jumpers was going head down when he noticed *both* steering toggles flapping around outside of his container. He grabbed them, went belly-to-earth, then let them go and deployed. When he deployed the toggles made a nice friction knot and both sets of his risers ended up in a half-hitch. His canopy started spinning madly, and he cutaway and landed uneventfully. It could have been much worse.

[Donna 0]

Just curious. What kind of rigs were used in both these incidents?
Skies,
D

[Grogs 0]

My friend was jumping a very new (~2000) Javelin J-1. The Javelin has, IMO, pretty good riser protection, but certainly not as good as some of the made for freefly rigs like a Mirage. Most of the riggers on our DZ feel that the problem was probably caused by the brakes being improperly stowed during packing.

[max 0]

I was using a Rigging Innovations Generra. It is a good container, I think the riser cover came loose on exit. While filming the exit I was in a sit and partial back fly position.