Had a close call today

[Mach1dmb 0]

Today I did my level 7 and 8 out of 13 for my IAF training. My first jump went flawless, with a perfect landing. Second jump, flawless freefall, not so much landing...For some reason I could not locate the dropzone! Normally it takes me 5-10 seconds after my canopy opens, but this time I was just so lost, by the time I located it I knew I was not going to make it back. My instructor saw this and landed in a nearby field. I did not know the wind direction at this point so I was trying to copy her exact pattern, but I ran out of altitude. At this point I should have just landed downwind right in the open, but I hesitated and tried to land upwind. I thought I was fine until I wasn't going down as fast as I wanted to be. A huge treeline, a road, and power lines were right in front me, I was trapped. I pulled a couple hard S turns to try and lose altitude and flared right before the trees. I got both feet on the ground one step and then my canopy caught on the trees. I really thought I was gonna end up stuck hanging from them but i made it out without a scratch!

I feel like a fool, but at the same time I'm glad I got the experience of making quick decisions and turning that low to the ground. I guess I just have a fear of landing downwind, but I have to remember its a safer alternative then making dangerously low turns, especially near obstructions

[jrjny 0]

I watched my buddy's girl landing in between hangars at DeLand (self supervised solo post AFF (2x jumps), after opening at 5k EXACTLY over the large novice landing area.

That's how you get killed or paralyzed!

[fastphil 0]

Sounds like you learn fast and took care of business...

[davelepka 4]

Quote

I could not locate the dropzone! Normally it takes me 5-10 seconds after my canopy opens, but this time I was just so lost, by the time I located it I knew I was not going to make it back. My instructor saw this and landed in a nearby field. I did not know the wind direction at this point

This is most likely the result of just not connecting the dots.

Did you have a landing pattern/direction planned before boarding the aircraft? I'll assume yes, and with that in mind, once you locate the DZ, you'll be able to determine your orientation and the direction of the wind.

Let's say you wanted to land to the south, and you opened up too far south to make it back the DZ. Once you see where you are in relation to the DZ, you can picture the direction you wanted to land, and simply take that direction to the LZs that you can reach.

To take that one step further, you can take your pattern to your off field landing as well. Think about the directions and altitudes of the pattern you planned, and place the whole thing over top of the field you choose to land in. Doing this will improve the safety and accuracy of your landing.

When you use a pattern, the tendency to turn low is reduced. You know by the time you enter the pattern if you're 'on pattern' or off pattern', and if you find yourself 'off pattern', you have 1000ft to correct the issue before touchdown. Without a pattern, it you might no find out that your set-up is off until you are much lower, and making a low turn becomes more of a reality.

A pattern will also help with your accuracy over unfamiliar fields. Keep in mind how you can adjust the altitude/location of the turns in your pattern to adjust where you land, and you'll see how it gives you a structured system to land where you want to land.

The other benefit to a pattern when landing off is that the downwind leg gives the chance to overfly the LZ at a lowish altitude for one last scan for obstacles/hazzards in the touchdown zone. You can scan the LZ, and then adjust your pattern to compensate for any hazzards you might spot.

That said, 7 jumps is not a lot, and the planning/use of a pattern takes time to develop and understand. Having a safe landing of any kind is a good thing, and with 7 jumps, exactly how it happens isn't as important. What is important is realizing the lessons to be learned, and putting them to work from this point forward.

I'll add one other thing, the definition of a 'good' landing is any one you can walk away from. How it looks, if you stand up or not, or how it look is not important now or ever. Don't rate yourself on those criteria, or let them dictate your actions in any way. Do what you need to do in order to walk away from the landing, and call it a success when you do.

[sundevil777 93]

It is great that you knew S-turns would help your situation, and that you didn't just freeze up. Doing that when a lot of other jumpers are in the air around you will be no good as it increases collision risk. There are some other things that help when you are going long and want to make your glide path steeper, such as using a braked approach, which is also not appropriate for crowded skies but you should know about it anyway. Learn what braked turns and flare turns are as they can save you from getting broken when you're in a bad situation. Review all these things with your instructors to understand when/where they are appropriate and when they are not.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[chuteless 1]

There is one things you should always remember about having a close call.

Close calls are a part of building experience, and each close call prepares you for the eventuality of having another later.

You will find a "close call" is real " HIGH" and it keeps the blood flowing just as it should.

Reserve openings , especially after a cutaway are the best to keep you on your toes, and keep you thinking in a positive way.

Best of luck with your jumping, and chalk up those close calls to gaining experience that you can lean on in the future.

Bill Cole D-41