Landed with a broken line... OUCH!!!

[dsteveanders86z 0]

At the end of July i graduate my AFF course without a sweat. Loved it! After that i knew i had til the end of october to get my A license because the DZ closes for the winter.

I had just gotten laid off right after i finished my AFF course so i was super bummed out! well i was collecting unemployment to pay bills, and i took up giving guitar lessons to help pay for me to skydive more.

Finally after a month of not skydivng, i finally had a few hundred dollars saved up and finally had a day i could go (schedule/weather) so i planed on making 5 jumps that day! (jumps 10-15) i was super stoked to say the least!

Since i had not jumped within 30 days, i had to go through a refresher course to make sure I knew what i was doing. The instructor went over the basics: "what do you do if you look up and see this?” stuff like that. One thing we went over was a broken line/drifting slightly to the side. Can you steer left? can you steer right? Can you flare? If you can do those things, you can land without incident as long as you correct the drifting.

So I jumped twice that day without incident, but on my 3rd jump of the day (12th), canopy opened and I noticed a line dangling and I was drifting slightly to the left. In my head im like “ok, I just learned about this” I unstowed the breaks. Corrected the turning. Steered right. Steered left. And practice flared twice. Everything seemed fine. At this point, I never even considered pulling a reserve because… well in my eyes, I was fine.

I do some careful maneuvering to get into my landing pattern as I don’t want to mess anything else up. Im keeping an eye out for other canopies. At about 700ft, i notice my altitude is about dead even to the canopy closest to me, and I notice im falling a bit faster than he is… ummm….

So I stay focused on my landing approach and now im on my final 300ft approach and have a good site on where im going to land.

Now im at 100ft and realize I am hauling some serious ass! “wish I would have pulled my reserve!” Panic wanted to set in, but I knew that would not help things. 50ft… “this is GUNNA HURT!” 25 ft… “my leg is broken if I don’t tuck n roll”

15ft… time to flare and save my ass…. Flare does practically nothing…

Hit the ground with legs apart (facepalm) tried to tuck and roll but my left ankle rolled and my right knee came down right on top of it!

i lay there for a minute giving myself a systems check… “head – good, arms – good, ribs – good; privates – great!; legs – good, feet – can only feel one”

Then the pain sets in, I lay calmly on the ground thinking my foot/ankle is broken for sure.

Another skydiver comes running to me and asks if I’m ok and to just hold still and he’ll unhook my rig for me. We get everything situated and im already feeling better… a little embarrassed actually. One of the staff members comes by on a golf cart to pick me up and take me back across the field to the office where they gave me ice, crutches, and moral support.

Went to the doctor and got x-rays… not broken! YAY!

I was on crutches for 6 weeks. Its been nearly 2 ½ months since the incident. My foot still isn’t healed all the way, but I was just glad to be alive!

On the up-side… I got a lot of attention for being on crutches and got asked a lot “what did you do?” … made for a great conversation piece. :)


CANT WAIT TO GET BACK IN THE SKY NEXT SEASON!!!!

[aresye 0]

Glad you didn't get anything broken.

As for procedure, you did exactly as you were instructed to do. High up it isn't very likely you knew you had a higher descent rate. As you said, you didn't realize until you were level with a canopy at 700ft. At this point you don't have the option to cutaway, so you stuck with it, and ended up with a minor injury that will likely be better within a week or two. Good job on following procedure!

Now let's talk about the actual line breaking. Did you have a harder than normal opening? How did the lines look on the repack? Or did you not repack it?

If you had a normal opening, I can't see how a line would just break unless it was needing a new line set, which, in that case, that rig should not have been in service.

Skydiving: You either learn from other's mistakes, or they'll learn from yours.

[midlifecrisis 0]

I am sorry to hear about your injury. Hopefully you make a full recovery.
Someone put the link to this thread on my thread and I think both are good reading. I had a similar issue to yours with a different outcome. Lots of people have given good advice and I appreciate thier input.
Once again... Sorry to hear about your injury. I hope you make a speedy and complete recovery.

Here is the link to my thread...
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=3723691;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

[crashmcwhly 0]

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And practice flared twice...Flare does practically nothing…

I'm curious about those statements. Did you flare to a near stall during your control check, but couldn't stall upon landing? Did the integrity of the canopy degrade during your flight? I'm a student with 13 jumps and interested in knowing these things before they happen to me.

[JohnMitchell 14]

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And practice flared twice...Flare does practically nothing…

Did you flare to a near stall during your control check, but couldn't stall upon landing? Did the integrity of the canopy degrade during your flight?

I did the same thing 18 years ago. Jumping my wife's 5 cell DC-5. Broke a middle A-B line just below the cascade. Flew straight, flared straight, so I opted to land it. At 100 feet, passing the tops of the trees, I realized I had a high rate of descent and poor forward speed. When I flared, I got very little reduction in descent rate. I PLF'd very well but still cracked my lower leg bone and severely sprained my right ankle. Six weeks in a half cast and crutches.

Remember that when you flare, you're converting your forward speed to lift for a softer landing. The more efficiently the canopy/airfoil you have does this, the easier it is to kill your vertical rate and have a nice landing. My broken line group worked against me 3 ways.

1- The deformed canopy had more drag, less lift, and therefore less forward speed, or energy.

2- The deformed canopy had a higher rate of descent, meaning I'd need more flare to have a decent landing.

3- The deformed canopy was much less efficient at converting my paltry forward speed into desperately needed lift when I did flare.

It's hard to tell up high what your rate of descent and glide angle are like on a busted canopy. Previously I had landed broken lines on 7 cells, standing up and in the peas. Now I chop 'em all when I see broken lines.

[virgin-burner 1]

there's a nice thread in safety & training, addressing exactly that; landing a broken canopy. you have a reserve for a reason, USE IT!

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[JohnRich 4]

Which line was broken?
Why did you land with your legs apart?

[skycc 0]

I landed a little Batwing (older elliptical canopy) that had a broken steering line about 13 years ago. I was not able to get any flare from risers, no wind, hit so hard feet/butt that I STILL have daily back pain in my sachral joint. I have been wishing every day for years I had cut that one away!

Hope your foot feels better soon. At least it wasn't worse.

[stayhigh 2]

we need to know name and size of the canopy,, plus a wingloading.. thx

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[virgin-burner 1]

plus the S/N, the EXACT date of manufacture, the color pattern and what you had for breakfast!

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[dsteveanders86z 0]

i did come to a stall on my practices, but i was coming into the LZ so fast, that i think i might have just misjudged the ground and flared waay too late. not sure... lesson learned

[dsteveanders86z 0]

It was a couple months ago and i dont remember which line it was and why my legs were apart... i have no idea... stupid. i learned a lot from this dive... a lot of what to do and what NOT to do.

[dsteveanders86z 0]

it didnt seem like it was too hard of an opening really. I've had harder ones. but also sofer ones too. i didnt repack it, i layed straight down with some ice and elevated that B.


uploaded some pictures of my foot

[Krip 2]

Hi Steve

Sorry about the foot.

Thanks for the pix

One Jump Wonder

[virgin-burner 1]

OUCH!!!

be happy your tib/fib are still in place..

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[Skydivesg 6]

You could always do the spit test.

Not very scientific but it seems to work.

Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

[dan770 0]

hey!, glad your ok. Btw, are you the same steveanders from harmony central, rig-talk or splawn forums?

[virgin-burner 1]

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hey!, glad your ok. Btw, are you the same steveanders from harmony central?

you digging him!?

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[dan770 0]

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hey!, glad your ok. Btw, are you the same steveanders from harmony central?

you digging him!?

Haha. I just remember the name from awhile back. I no longer go there because it really has turned into the anus of the interent. Hes a pretty damn good guitar player btw.

[dsteveanders86z 0]

hey i sure am! who's this?

and thank you BTW! ::blushes::

but that foot looks nasty huh? i was suprised it wasnt broken! just lots of bruising and swelling. its still a little swollen, and a little bruised and hurts on a cold day haha

[dan770 0]

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hey i sure am! who's this?

You wouldnt know me. I was a lurker since 2001 for the most part. Names just stick with me and i never forget them. Im pretty much done with HC now that i got my splawn quickrod. I spent many years trying stuff out and finally settled on the QR. I have to wait till im out of school to get the suhrs that i want. My GAS will be cured. Kinda random huh?

Ive had that happen before playing football. It was nasty watching the bruising seep to the bottom of my foot. I sprained it so bad the doctor said he could basically take my foot and bend my ankle 90 deg. He didnt try it, just making a point. You are very lucky man.

[dsteveanders86z 0]

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Quote

hey i sure am! who's this?

You wouldnt know me. I was a lurker since 2001 for the most part. Names just stick with me and i never forget them. Im pretty much done with HC now that i got my splawn quickrod. I spent many years trying stuff out and finally settled on the QR. I have to wait till im out of school to get the suhrs that i want. My GAS will be cured. Kinda random huh?

Ive had that happen before playing football. It was nasty watching the bruising seep to the bottom of my foot. I sprained it so bad the doctor said he could basically take my foot and bend my ankle 90 deg. He didnt try it, just making a point. You are very lucky man.

Nice dude. where you located? i still lurk the forums from time to time if im bored at work. nothing changes.

I love skydiving as much as i love playing guitar. one can kill me and one can get me girls :) haha jk

[dan770 0]

Im located in state college pa. WHat about you? I too, love both playing guitar and jumping. the old guitar=girls thing never quite panned out for me haha.

[dsteveanders86z 0]

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Im located in state college pa. WHat about you? I too, love both playing guitar and jumping. the old guitar=girls thing never quite panned out for me haha.

Minneapolis, MN

haha. although i have an awesome girlfriend, and i didnt get her by playing guitar:)

[timmyfitz 0]

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You could always do the spit test.

Not very scientific but it seems to work.

What is the spit test?