It's the little things that add up

[freefall138 0]

I wanted to relate an experience that I had recently at my DZ. I usually don't post much on the forums but I thought that I would share the following incident.

Last Saturday night I was doing my 4th or 5th night jump (the first and only one that night). I did a three way RW that was uneventful. My deployment was also uneventful. It was when I collapsed my slider that I ran into a problematic situation. Somehow I got both slider gromments stuck on both of my toggles to point that I could not effectively steer/brake/flare without the use of my risers. I initially deployed a little high (around 3700 - 3900 feet) so I attempted to clear the problem for the next 1000 - 1200 feet. Unfortunately, I was not able to fix the problem so I was forced to use my emergency procedures. Once under my reserve the situation only seemed to worsen as I was WAY off track and VERY downwind. To top it all off my canopy had almost zero penetration due to moderately high winds and I was over alot of trees. I picked out the only area I thought to be a viable landing area (a large dark area...wasn't too sure) and barely made it past the trees. I flared looking at lights in the distance and I actually had a soft landing with kinda a half PLF. My walk back to the DZ was long and uneventful.
Looking back at the situation (that will forever change my life perspective) there are a series of LITTLE things that, if changed, may have (probably would have) changed the outcome. Here they are (in no particular order):
1. It was a night jump and as a result my vision was not as good as it could have been. I think maybe I could have cleared the malfunction if I could have identified it better.
2. I almost aborted the jump early because of the weather and I was tired from working all day. I should have listened to the little voice in my head.
3. This was my first jump that day and I was not fully prepared for the winds that were moving around 2000 - 4000 feet. Mental note: never jump at night without first jumping that day.
4. My awareness was not on my ground track/direction when I was dealing with the malfunction for 1000 feet. If I would have realized that I was hauling ass downwind away from the DZ maybe I would have changed heading! Again, I am faulted with not paying attention to my environment.
5. I wore gloves on this jump. I normally do not wear gloves unless I think that I will be really cold (it actually was not that bad). These gloves were the thin police type gloves but my dexerity still suffered a bit. Maybe if I did not wear gloves I would have been able to "feel" the problem a little better since I was in the dark.
6. The flashlight that I brought with me doubles as a strobe light but the flashlight end was not illuminating the situation very well. You think I would have double checked this BEFORE the skydive!
7. On previous night jumps I always brought my cell phone with me. Wouldn't you know that the one time I don't I end up with a cutaway and an off DZ landing! Mental note: Always bring a cell phone on night dives!
8. This particular main pack job was done by my wife who is going through AFF. Being a rigger, I obviously felt it to be my responsibility to teach her how to pack. Although I fully observed this pack job, which opened fine, I remembered that we stowed the excess steering line differently this time. Maybe this contributed to the tangled mess that I found with the slider/toggle/steering line when I finally got my canopy back two days later.

All of the above seemed to be little and insignificant at the time but snowballed and produced a situation that I was not expecting. It makes more even more vigilant so that I don't wind up a statistic. To me, the fact that I walked away without a scratch is simply amazing. I can't remember when I learned that much on a single skydive...it truly altered my perspective (in a positive way). Oh, yeah...one more thing - that way my 1st cutaway!!!

I hope others can learn from my mistakes on this jump because I think I got off lucky.

[airtwardo 7]

I hope others can learn from my mistakes on this jump because I think I got off lucky.
***

Sounds like you did!


Also sounds like you identified all the problems you had and how to 'better' deal next time.


Not telling you anything don't already know, but it IS imperative to do away with all of the 'links in the chain of disaster' you possibly can.......before one 'does away' with you!

Good job on stayin' alive!!

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

[rhanold 0]

Last year I owned a 168 Pilot and landed it (once) comfortably with the breaks stowed using the rears. Why didn't you see this as an option?

good job landing off in the dark.

[skydiverbrian 0]

I agree. Even though this jumper ignored that 'little voice in his head' and jumped, he was under a fully open, fully flying, and fully controllable canopy. Then he chopped. A reserve is not guaranteed to open any better than a main.

In a world full of people, only some want to fly... isn't that crazy! --Seal

[rhys 0]

Did you find your main?

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[airtwardo 7]

8. This particular main pack job was done by my wife who is going through AFF. Being a rigger, I obviously felt it to be my responsibility to teach her how to pack. Although I fully observed this pack job, which opened fine, I remembered that we stowed the excess steering line differently this time. Maybe this contributed to the tangled mess that I found with the slider/toggle/steering line when I finally got my canopy back two days later.

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

[evilivan 0]

Quote

3. This was my first jump that day and I was not fully prepared for the winds that were moving around 2000 - 4000 feet. Mental note: never jump at night without first jumping that day.

Not sure if its a BPA rule or a dropzone rule, but last time I did night jumps you weren't allowed to make it your first jump of the day... although I'm definitely not a huge fan of rules etc, this one does seem to make sense.

"If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation."
David Brent

[freefall138 0]

Yes, I found the main two days later in a tree.

[freefall138 0]

I did not try to land with my rears because I have never attempted that during the day, much less at night. I was afraid I may have stalled the canopy upon landing and did not want to take that chance.

[mattaman 0]

I'll let you in on the most powerful safety advice ever. System redundency. Clearly something you didn't understand on that jump. What it means is, plan on things going wrong. Before you jump you need to realize something, its not like other sports where its ok til something goes wrong, when you leave the airplane its all wrong til it goes right, its a whole different mindset, this is why you have system redundency. Cause you can't afford to get caught without options or outs, which is what you clearly did, and your so right, its usually multiple faliures that create fatalities, and its cause you have people not having a system redundent mindset.
When you leave the airplane, practice what your gonna do when it goes right, and also go through your head all the scenarios of it going wrong, you'll be a safer skydiver, and you won't get caught with your ass so far out in the wind. Also, you need to understand that rear risers at night in a lighted landing area is a hell of alot safer than a reserve deployment and landing into a dark unknown, you hit powerlines, your probably gonna die, I make mistakes all the time, the smart skydivers admit them, laugh, and learn, the stupid ones try to cover them up, look like their all together, and never learn, doomed to repeat bad judgment, good luck, your partner in mistakes, matt
glad your still with us

Those stuck in maya, seek to be seen.

[kkeenan 14]

Good write-up and analysis of your experience. Thanks for taking the time to lay it all out. There are a lot of first-hand lessons that everyone can learn from this. All of those factors could have stacked up for a worse outcome if your performance (and luck) had gone in a different direction. It may have been that you would not have been able to share any of this with us. Off-airport night landings are pretty hazardous even on a main on a good night. I'm glad that all this education can come from someone who is still here to share a beer and a valuable jump story. Good work.

Kevin

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[Vectracide 0]

I believe the most important *note to self* here is, before participating in any non-typical type jump, that has a higher potential of injury if you land off, is that you must be proficient in EVERY aspect of flight, as it pertains to the canopy that you choose to fly for that jump. Learning to land on your rear risers, IMO, is one of the most important skills you can learn. There are several scenerios that if you just leave things as they are, or more serious, cut the steering lines, you can just land on your rears with a perfectly good, controllable canopy. I am NOT saying that what you did was wrong at all, in fact you chose to act in order to remedy a situation that you felt you could not land safely, and that is yours and only your decision when the time comes. Good job.

I am sure that the next couple weekends at the DZ you will be practicing your rear risers. First start out high and see how much it takes to collapse your canopy. Do this many many times, and you will start to notice telltale signs of collapse. This will help you build the confidence you need to land your canopy with rears only, on the ground. When you decide it is time to give it a try for the first time, do it on a slight wind day for optimal results, and don't try to stand it up, just slide it in. Before you know it, you will find that it is actually fun to land on rears every once in a while just for shits and giggles...its a great survival tool that everyone should learn to do.

------------------------------

Controlled and Deliberate.....

[skylord 1]

Quote

when you leave the airplane its all wrong til it goes right, its a whole different mindset, this is why you have system redundency.

This is a great statement. I learned much from it. I think this is a valuable point of view.

Bob Marks

Bob Marks

"-when you leave the airplane its all wrong til it goes right, its a whole different mindset, this is why you have system redundancy." Mattaman

[aphid 0]

Matt,

Congratulations on a concise, chronological, and thoughtful post. The concept of cumulative circumstances can easily translate to any skydive. It need not be a first jump of the day, a night jump, or any other specific type of jump. I think you did well in showing cause and potential effect. And I think you did a fine job in presenting the W5's (who, what, when, etc.) of your situation.

(one of your "resonders" wrote:)
> I'll let you in on the most powerful safety advice
> ever. System redundency.

That statement is so generic and unspecific it doesn't warrant a response other than, (in the spirit of the season), humbug.

(and he went on to say:)
> Clearly something you didn't understand on that
> jump

Matt, with your number of jumps, I think you made some pretty good decisions based on your situation... perhaps there may have been some "better" but hey, after all, it was YOU in the situation. You may wish to further educate yourself now, with a new understanding, by talking to the most respected and senior jumpers around you.

And finally, even though I wasn't there, I'll defend Matt's decision(s)...
> you need to understand that rear risers at night in
> a lighted landing area is a hell of alot safer than a
> reserve deployment and landing into a dark
> unknown

Well, I would care to suggest that is NOT "always" better. There are many other possible variables to make it not always the best solution, and they are too complex/convoluted to debate here after-the-fact. That decision was up to Matt... period. For those, (including you Matt), who are curious what those variables might be, talk to your DZ S&TA, (or in Canada, your Safety Officer)

[QuickDraw 0]

Quote

I did not try to land with my rears because I have never attempted that during the day, much less at night.

I think you made the right call under difficult circumstances,
and possibly broke a different chain of events.

A nice post & bravo.

-- Hope you don't die. --

I'm fucking winning

[aphid 0]

Cameron, my apologies... must've have had my buddy Matt's (White) name in my brain as I typed...

John

[Lucky... 0]

Aside from everything else, you do know you can do EP's. To do them in the harness, to do them on the ground is fine, but to do them under pressure is the test that defines natural selection.

You read from time to time skydivers with 500, 700, 1000 jumps having their first chop scenario ever and blowing it. Did you have an RSL? I'm usually against them, but that would have been a situation that would have been advantageous to have one; dark, not spinning, harder to get flat due to darkness, atli awareness not as good due to darkness.

Good job, you passd the Darwin test!!!

[mattaman 0]

Let him learn mom!

Those stuck in maya, seek to be seen.

[brianfry713 0]

In BASE, our number one priority after opening is heading. You said you ignored it during the entire minor control system malfunction. So in BASE, since we don't normally having cutting away as an option, priorities after opening are: heading, place to land, and do I have a good canopy. In skydiving they should probably be something like: do I have a good canopy, is my airspace clear, where am I (you should really already know), point towards the DZ, deal with any housekeeping while still pointed at the DZ, where am I going to land. Landing out is dangerous, especially at night. It also sounds like the outs were tricky.

A controllability check consists of turning left, right, and flaring. If you feel you couldn't land the canopy safely, then chop it. You didn't get hurt, so you made the right decision for you. Lots of people will argue with your decisions on this site, but it's your life on the line. Thanks for sharing.

[Sky15 0]

Good job!

Oh, and I did land a Batwing years ago with a broken steering line. I'm a small female and just didn't have much strength to flare with risers, and with no wind, ended up with a seemingly permanent back injury that still hurts me 10+ years later. I sure wish I had decided to make that jump cutaway #5. For different people, flaring with risers might not be the best option, it wasn't for me with not having practiced that in the air enough with that canopy and didn't know it would be that difficult for me.

[popsjumper 2]

Quote

> you need to understand that rear risers at night in
> a lighted landing area is a hell of alot safer than a
> reserve deployment and landing into a dark
> unknown

Well, I would care to suggest that is NOT "always" better...

Given the two scenarios that were presented...IMHO, it IS always better to land on rears in a lighted landing area rather than a dark unknown. You have far more experience than me... and MOST of us...please expound.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[popsjumper 2]

Excellent, excellent, excellent post.

Thanks for sharing and giving us an opportunity to learn...maybe some of us will learn something.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[TMPattersonJr 0]

Congrats on your first chop Cameron, Good job. Like alot of other people and you yourself have said, even though everything was not in the best of circumstances you are still around to talk about it. Next time your up in Palatka I'll have a beer waiting for ya!!!

Blue SkiesBlack DeathFacebook
www.PLabsInc.com
www.SkydiveDeLand.com
www.FlyteSkool.ws

[AFFI 0]

Great Post!

Thank you.

After reading this thread it did appear that a thoughtful analysis of the situation has taken place.

Concerning the approach utilized in Altitude Management , maybe this subject could have a closer look taken.

At any rate, thank you for sharing a most significant post.

_

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

[tbrown 26]

I have one question about your rig, is your canopy attached with soft loop or metal connectors to your risers ? And do you have standard or 1 in. skinny risers ? There's been some discussion both here and in Parachutist Magazine about sliders jamming up steering lines and contributing to some hairy situations and even fatalities (like our own Freefly Hol here at these Forums).

Your situation with BOTH steering lines jamming up is the most unusual one I've heard of - so naturally it had to happen on a night jump. Glad things turned out for you, the best learning experiences are the ones that leave you in one piece after a good scare.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !