'Lost' toggle in freefall... grab it & hold it down for opening

[pchapman 261]

Hmm, what's this doing here:

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I never really thought much about what to do if a toggle works its way free -- from riser and container -- in freefall, other than to stop the freefall at the earliest convenient moment and deal with whatever the canopy does.

Yesterday I did have a toggle get free, from an older container (Vector II) and risers I hadn't much used, during a 2 way sit jump. Yeah, it was less freefly friendly than I expected, given that it did have a bridle cover and decent velcro on the riser covers. Some common modern toggle designs really aren't that secure if the wind catches them.


During the incident, it was possible to reach up and back, grab the brake line & toggle that was flailing around in the burble, transfer to left hand, pull the hackey with the right hand, put toggle back in right hand, and hold it down below my shoulder to approximate the brake setting during opening. Worked for me on a bigger canopy, a Sabre 170, with an almost on-heading opening. I really can't recall if opening forces pulled the toggle upward during deployment, but I don't remember my hand getting yanked up to the brake guide ring or anything like that.

For anyone who cares, a few more pics telling the story are at (for facebook users) https://www.facebook.com/peter.chapman/media_set?set=a.10154753737290657.1073741863.855495656&type=1


I'm sure others must have done similarly at some time, but still it seems a relatively novel technique.

As for reaching back for the toggle, I guess there is some hazard if the brake line wraps around one's arm and then one does have a mal. On the other hand, keeping the toggle from flailing around can keep it from snagging GoPro's or wrapping in lines on opening or what have you.


References to previous related situations:

I recall a somewhat related situation, a video of an AFF instructor popping a student's 2nd toggle on deployment, after noticing one toggle was already released. http://iloveskydiving.org/view/videos/friday-freakout-skydiving-students-toggle-fires-in-freefall/

Some lost toggles can get quite dangerous. This was true for an acquaintance who was angle flying, where a poorly fitting harness helped allow a toggle to get free, which then wrapped the pilot chute hackey. Despite pulling the hackey, stuff wasn't leaving her back, leading to an eventual very low reserve opening and AAD fire. (Pics public for any facebook user:https://www.facebook.com/andrew.revesz/media_set?set=a.10204101448681463.1073741829.1382502479&type=1)

[IanHarrop 37]

I saw this photo recently but apparently it happened a couple of years ago.

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"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy