First Cutaway Today

[napalmboy 0]

Hey folks, wanted to let everybody know about my first cutaway, which happened about three hours ago.

It was sunset load, and I was with the first group out, doing a 3-way RW jump. We got through about 14 points - way higher than my average, so I was feeling pretty great - before I turned and tracked at 4500. I pulled at 3500, and everything opened up fine. I released my brakes and saw right away that there was a lot of line moving with my right toggle; to me in the air it almost looked like the toggle was stuck in the finger trap. I didn't examine it too closely, though, other than to see there was a problem. I pulled it hard once to see if I could get it to come loose, but it was stuck. I checked my altitude (2 grand), said something eloquent like "shit," and went for my handles.

The canopy started spinning, but I had my hands in the right place and the whole experience was over pretty quickly. I pulled red, pulled silver and had just enough time to notice the drop and going slightly head down before I was jerked up again under my reserve. Everything from there went uneventfully.

On the ground, a much more experience jumper told me about how I might have tried to land it, but I'd previously made up my mind about situations like this. Once I saw there was a problem and it wasn't going to go away, I double-checked to make sure I was at a safe altitude to cutaway and then got rid of it. I've thought about other possibilities (could I have landed it? Sure, I think I could have. If I'd had a hook knife, could I have cut the brake line? Harder, but maybe possible), but having read lots of similar incidents here, I felt pretty confident in my standing decision to get rid of any parachute that isn't doing exactly what I want it to do.

The main is mostly purple, and it got dark pretty quickly, so despite an impressively large search group (thanks, everyone!) we still haven't recovered the main. We have a super-helpful helicopter pilot at the airport, though, who loves stuff like this, and we have a general idea of where it was going, so I have high hopes of recovering it tomorrow. Another jumper caught my freebag, and I have my reserve handle as well. Don't know what I was thinking about, but I threw my cutaway handle somewhere along the line, so that's pretty much lost. I should remember to hang on to it at least until my reserve is open, though.

Vitals: Wings container, Sabre 2 170 main (canopy has about 400 jumps, I've got 25ish on it), Tempo 210 reserve. I'm loading the main at about 1.1:1. I have an RSL, and upon inspecting the reserve pin cable, it beat me to the pin, but I guess that's to be expected. This was my 125th jump, 2nd of the day. I've got about 40 jumps or so in the last three months.

Anyway, my lessons from this: I know my emergency procedures well enough that I didn't have to think about them. That's reassuring. Also, I was trusting enough in my reserve, which is something I really try to be. Also, I should hold on to my handles, if only so that they don't fly up into my newly inflating parachute. But otherwise, I feel like I did a pretty good job...but maybe that's just the adrenaline talking.

Well, now I owe beer and some scotch. Stay safe out there!

Well, the door was open...

[Frenchy68 0]

Congrats on making the last part of your jump uneventful (after the cutaway that is)!One thing I have a general issue with:

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Don't know what I was thinking about, but I threw my cutaway handle somewhere along the line, so that's pretty much lost

You were probably thinking about saving your life, so the handle is purely irrelevant. In my opinion, keeping the handles should never become part of the EP.
Not directed specifically at you, just one of my pet peeves. Congrats again.

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[AshDeBash 0]

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Another jumper caught my freebag,

Did this person actually catch the freebag whilst it was falling?

[spoons 0]

I had a similar incident to this, however I managed to clear the problem fairly quickly so didn't need to cut away.

Basically, I had been setting my brakes before uncollapsing and moving my slider; so when I was pulling my slider over the brakes it was pushing the toggle further into the brake set loop. This made the loop go over a softer part of the toggle and on one jump it got stuck - fortunately after a few hard pulls (at the correct sideways angle :S) it came unstuck.

I'm a bit more careful when it comes to where the set loop sits on my toggle now!

[PhreeZone 14]

Have you ever talked to anyone about rear riser landings and ways to control the canopy when its in the situation you experienced? Good job on a cutaway, but depending on the conditions some times this situation can just be landed with out needing to chop. It does require some practice ahead of time and some learning, but every thing turned out ok (if the main is recoved) and you are here to talk about it so you did everything right.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[napalmboy 0]

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You were probably thinking about saving your life, so the handle is purely irrelevant. In my opinion, keeping the handles should never become part of the EP.

Yeah, I agree. I didn't say it because I was upset at dropping the handle, but more because it wasn't what I was taught. During my FJC, I was basically taught to hold on to the handles until you see a reserve up over you. Once the reserve is open, you can toss the handles. My instructor's reasoning was that by hanging on to the handles for that moment or two, you prevent them from flying up into the deployment of your last parachute. I don't know if that's a concern or not, but I'm sure it's something that would have differing opinions.

Well, the door was open...

[napalmboy 0]

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Another jumper caught my freebag,

Did this person actually catch the freebag whilst it was falling?

Yeah, he did. He said it used to be a mini-sport in itself, "back in the day." I've personally made the decision to never catch equipment in the air, but the jumper in question has about 13,000 more jumps than I do, so it's not like I'm going to talk him out of anything.

Well, the door was open...

[napalmboy 0]

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Have you ever talked to anyone about rear riser landings and ways to control the canopy when its in the situation you experienced? Good job on a cutaway, but depending on the conditions some times this situation can just be landed with out needing to chop. It does require some practice ahead of time and some learning, but every thing turned out ok (if the main is recoved) and you are here to talk about it so you did everything right.

Thanks. Nobody's ever talked to me specifically about managing a situation like this, although I have done rear-riser practice on my own. I went through Bill Booth's "Downsize Checklist" on my previous canopy (Safire 189) before switching to the Sabre2, including dives where I restricted myself to only using risers. I haven't practiced using risers against a stuck toggle, but I'll be putting some time into that just as soon as I've got a main again.

Well, the door was open...

[PhreeZone 14]

It would be BillVon's list not Bill Booth

If you ever get the chance take a Scott Miller course, he will teach you the skills needed to make things like this almost a non-event. I've landed this same mal twice and my GF has done it once too.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[ntacfreefly 0]

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Yeah, he did. He said it used to be a mini-sport in itself, "back in the day." I've personally made the decision to never catch equipment in the air, but the jumper in question has about 13,000 more jumps than I do, so it's not like I'm going to talk him out of anything.

Nate's # of jumps didn't stop him from dying. Catching gear mid air isn't worth it.

Blues,
Ian

To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders. ~ Lao-Tzu

It's all good, they're my brothers ~ Mariann Kramer

[napalmboy 0]

Whoops! You're right, wrong Bill.

I took Scott Miller's intro course, but I don't remember dealing with anything like this. It was super helpful regardless, and I'd be first in line to take it again.

Well, the door was open...

[napalmboy 0]

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***Yeah, he did. He said it used to be a mini-sport in itself, "back in the day." I've personally made the decision to never catch equipment in the air, but the jumper in question has about 13,000 more jumps than I do, so it's not like I'm going to talk him out of anything.

Nate's # of jumps didn't stop him from dying. Catching gear mid air isn't worth it.

I know, and it's why I've made the decision to never catch gear in the air myself. My point about jump #'s was that this guy's pretty much made up his mind about things, and a low-timer like myself saying to him "Hey, you shouldn't do that, it's dangerous!" isn't really going to make a difference. I just hope it doesn't come back to bite him.

Well, the door was open...

[AFFI 0]

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Once I saw there was a problem and it wasn't going to go away, I double-checked to make sure I was at a safe altitude to cutaway and then got rid of it.

What if when you finally checked your altitude you discovered that you were not at a safe altitude to cutaway? When adrenalin is pouring and temporal distortion occurs it is quite possible for even the most level headed to loose track of altitude.

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I released my brakes and saw right away that there was a lot of line moving with my right toggle; to me in the air it almost looked like the toggle was stuck in the finger trap. I didn't examine it too closely, though, other than to see there was a problem. I pulled it hard once to see if I could get it to come loose, but it was stuck.

Perhaps it may have been wise to check your altitude as soon as you suspected there was a problem rather than to make an attempt to correct the problem first.

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going slightly head down before I was jerked up again under my reserve.

When performing EP’s you can push your hips forward, this will help to ensure that you maintain an arched body position and resume a belly to earth orientation when you fall away from the malfunctioned canopy.


EP’s are fun, what a rush eh?

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

[diverup13k 0]

Like everyone else congradulations.In my book youve proved the most important thing about being a skydiver."when all else fails you know that you can and will save your own life"quote by Mark Hewitt to a newbie in Hawaii way back in 1995 (me)

[napalmboy 0]

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What if when you finally checked your altitude you discovered that you were not at a safe altitude to cutaway? When adrenalin is pouring and temporal distortion occurs it is quite possible for even the most level headed to loose track of altitude.

I'd like to say that I knew I had time, but I can't be sure if I'm not just mis-remembering that because I want to remember it that way. I know I pulled at 3500, and the canopy itself opened just fine, which means for my parachute I'd be at 2500 or slightly higher for a control check. But at this point I could be just doing math after the fact.

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Perhaps it may have been wise to check your altitude as soon as you suspected there was a problem rather than to make an attempt to correct the problem first.

Can't really argue with that. Good idea.

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EP’s are fun, what a rush eh?

No kidding.