Listen to your gut!!

[Jeth 0]

I wanted to post about a jump I did last weekend as a reminder to all jumpers about safety. Let me start by saying that I know that ultimately I am responsible for myself. So even though I think a lot of things could've been done better by many people, I am not blaming anyone specifically.

Sorry about the long post, but here is the story -

This jump was a total clusterfuck from the beginning. It was a sunset cross-country. It was supposed to take off at 7:45pm. Well at 7:45 all the people signed up for it were just starting to assemble. The organizer of the jump was trying to give a brief on how it was gonna go down. (This was at a big boogie so it was very possible there were first-timers on the load, and many out-of-towners.) So then as he is in the middle of trying to organize the jumpers, the pilot comes over to ask him about the direction. The pilot and plane were not from this dz. To add to the confusion, in addition to the cross-country jumpers, this load also had on it freeflyers, tandems, and CRW. There were many people shouting about how far out they wanted to be. The CRW didn't want to go out as far as us. The organizer was trying to tell the pilot to take us 3 miles west - that would've been upwind of the dz. There were ppl arguing whether it should be 3 miles or 4 miles, and some wanted 2.

Well by now it is past 8:00, and manifest says we need to get the plane in the air. So we are all told to gear up and then come back. We are all confused and not feeling good about how this is going. But we get geared up. Then we come back, and the organizer is trying to line us up in the right exit order. He's trying to get everyone's wing-loading, but lots of people are moving around, asking questions, etc, so it's very chaotic and confusing. Then manifest says we have to go load the plane now. We are soooo not ready to load! We are all totally confused as to the exit order and where the hell we're going. What also compounded the issues is that the load organizer was not going on the dive.

So we all pile on the plane, in whatever order. I end up way in the back near the pilot. (Plane was a CASA.) My friend is not happy about the exit order because she knows her canopy sinks out fast, and yet she is in position to be the last one out. In addition, we are losing daylight fast. We took off about a half hour late, and the sun is barely still in the sky. The plane was fully loaded, and took forever to climb.

The pilot dumps the freeflyers and tandems, and then we are still going. Now I am starting to get really nervous. Everyone was. People are making comments like "well, we're gonna be landing in the dark on this one." The pilot calls out to us and says he's gonna give 3 green lights. We are trying to shout that to the people near the door. I get nods from some people, but not everyone. We are still going, and I am now getting more nervous, and am thinking about staying on the plane. I have no idea how far out we are, and I know it's going to be dark soon. The guy next to me goes "Ya, this is totally fucked up. Ya know, if you wanna stay on the plane, you should. It's your call." It was as if he was hoping I would so he could do it, too.

Well then, despite my gut feeling, we see people in front of us getting up, so we follow the herd out the door. Damn, that was stupid. As soon as I'm out and deployed, I look around and see that everyone is scattering. There is no leader, and no one has any idea where the dz is. I am scanning every direction looking for it. I see canopies dropping way below me. (I am very lightly loaded.) At around 11 grand I finally see the airport -- and I am totally shocked to discover that it is UPWIND of me. Immediately I realize we are fucked. No one is going to make it back. I was getting no penetration. From 11 grand to 8 grand I moved maybe a foot across the ground. But what I am really shitting about is that it is getting dark FAST. By now all the other canopies are gone. They have gone other ways, or are much lower than me and I can't see them anymore - I am all alone at 8 grand. What I really want to do is just spiral down, but I am over a big industrial complex, and beyond that is the Interstate. So I have to keep going till I am over some outs. I am tucking up to try to get more forward drive. Finally around 5 grand I am across the highway and over some farms. Now I am looking for an out. It's hard, though, because all the lights of the city and highway are on, which makes the dark spots darker.

I have landed in the corn before, and am not scared of it. But I was worried that since it was dark, I may get lost in there where they couldn't find me. So I decided to aim for the yard next to the corn. I was basically coming straight down. I thought I had set myself up pretty well. I was into the wind, and I had positioned myself a bit into the yard, away from the road, in case I ended up going backwards. Well then when I was at about 100 ft or so, I started driving forward. There was a line of trees between the yard and house, and I was headed straight for a tree. I pulled a toggle down to avoid the tree. I ended up pounding in on my right side. My canopy came to rest right next to the tree trunk, so it was close. I rolled my ankle and smacked my head. It was definitely an "oh shit" moment. I was pretty shaken up but happy I was okay. Then I realized my nose was bleeding and my ankle hurt. But I was okay.

A very nice guy had been watching me come down, and was there to pick me up within 5 minutes. He took me back to the dz, which was a good 15+ minute ride. I knew the whole load landed off, and I was just hoping everyone else was okay. I was so pissed that I had gone.

It turned out my teammates landed in a golf course, some other friends landed at a race track. The guy who had been next to me on the plane landed in a little patch of grass near the highway, narrowly avoided power lines. He was very freaked out. Everyone was. The whole load was upset at how poorly things turned out. And it was damn scary being up there with so little light left. Fortunately, they managed to find everyone by about 10pm and no one was seriously injured.

I was just so pissed at the whole thing. Pissed that it wasn't organized properly, pissed that I didn't listen to my gut and went anyway, and pissed that I couldn't judge that landing right and injured myself.

So this is just my very long-winded way of saying LISTEN TO YOUR GUT, PEOPLE!! This could've ended worse for a lot of people. It was too damn dark, and the pilot went the wrong way. (There was some speculation that he was actually doing a go-around but the people by the door went anyway. Who knows.) Whatever the case, the bottom line is that I didn't have to get on the plane, and I didn't have to get out. But because I did, now I am sitting here with crutches. And I may miss the last 4-way meet of the season. Definitely not worth it.

Yes, I need to work on my accuracy. Yes, I should've done a flat turn. I didn't think of that at all. It was a split-second reaction. I definitely need to practice flat turns more so hopefully if there is a next time it will be automatic. But I really hope there isn't a next time because the next time my gut is so strongly telling me to stay on the ground, I WILL!!

Hope this story helps someone to make a better decision.

"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters."
PFRX!!!!!
Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109
My Jump Site

[VideoFly 0]

No need to apologize for a long post. It was worth a million words. I am glad that everyone is pretty much okay. Many of us have gotten on the plane with doubt in our minds and sometimes it is difficult to get off of a load. I remember one of the first rules of skydiving I learned, which said "Know when to say no." Unfortunately, it’s one of the hardest rules to follow. Thanks for the reminder. It can save us lots of grief.

[Jeth 0]

Yup. That was the exact rule that my friend quoted to me when I told him what happened. Definitely hard to follow sometimes.

"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters."
PFRX!!!!!
Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109
My Jump Site

[grimmie 173]

You lived and learned, good job.

A couple of pointers.
1. Everyone should be quiet and let the organizer figure out exit order, flight path and exit spot. It sounds like the organizer should have taken better command of the situation. And the jumpers should have let him AND helped him do his job.

2. You were open really high. The best LZ may not always be on your effort to make it back to the DZ. Look behind you for a good LZ and use the wind as your friend.

3. A $27 jump ticket is cheaper than a trip to the ER.

4. Peer pressure doesn't buy food and pay medical bills.

Get well soon!

[Gato 0]

I'm going to share your story at my home DZ tomorrow - it's a great reminder of how things can go when we get into a rush.

Really glad you're in one piece, Jeth! I hope you heal up fast, and can get back to it soon!

Gato

T.I.N.S.

[Jeth 0]

Thank you, that is excellent advice. I might've gotten to a better out if I hadn't been fighting the wind the whole way.

I think I was concerned that we were already several miles away, and didn't want to get even farther in case they had to come look for me. But I definitely would've taken a bigger landing area over being closer. Another lesson learned. (I know - "land safe, not close". )

"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters."
PFRX!!!!!
Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109
My Jump Site

[danielcroft 2]

Glad you're ok. Good lesson here for me for sure. Have the same lesson well ingrained from riding a bike.

Did you try double front risers to get some penetration? I'm curious because that's something I've been told would help but have no idea. I'm also loaded pretty light (.97) and have been wanting to do a sunset load for a while but have been nervous so I haven't gone yet. Also want to do a cross country but again, don't want to get into trouble with low light (our DZ only allows cross country on last loads on the weekend).

Thanks for posting!

[Peej 0]

That's what Tonto used to call an "events cascade" - a series of bad decisions that lead to an injury or worse. I'm glad you're ok dude and thanks for making that post, it sounds like you realise what you did wrong and how not to do it again. Focus on healing right now and try not to beat yourself up about it. And let's hope that others that read this forum can learn from it, like t always said "i'd rather be down here wishing i was up there than up there wishing i was down here".

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[birdlike 0]

Wow. That's an amazing story, and a scary one!
I'm very glad that no one was seriously injured, but more glad that you state the priceless lesson this very close call taught you.

I was very fortunate when I was learning to skydive (as though I'm not still learning to skydive!) that I had some guys around me who took MY safety seriously, and were my surrogates until I learned how to do it myself. I had some instructors and buddies around who had no fear about telling me, DO NOT JUMP TODAY. Imagine what it takes to tell an overconfident new jumper that he drove for an hour to waste gas and not even skydive, and these guys had those kinda guts. For all I know, I may be alive today but for them. (One of them gave me a quick, "Be safe!" right before a jump, and because of it I did another gear check before loading up, and found I had misrouted my chest strap!

It's great that you posted this in the effort to get others to wake up to that "gut feeling" and start to HEED IT.

You won't reach some of the know-it-alls and macho schmucks, but you WILL REACH SOME, and your words today may save lives.

Another lesson I would roll into this one is, "If you have to RUSH to make it onto the plane, LET THE PLANE GO WITHOUT YOU." I swore to make this my personal rule and I still abide by it. Why is that rule important to me? Because I don't want to learn the hard way what it can cost me to forget something crucial because I was rushing.

Blue skies, everyone.

Spirits fly on dangerous missions
Imaginations on fire

[Andy9o8 0]

I've chosen to ride the plane down a couple of times when some of the others chose to get out. (One time, solid low overcast; the other time the winds kicked up.) Each time I probably would have been ok...unless I wasn't. Also numerous times I've stayed down in marginal conditions when others went up. That you are reading this is proof it was the right decision each time.

Boogies especially are a place when you need to keep your Spidey-sense (well, I guess that's your gut) finely tuned...and listen to it.

[tbrown 26]

Wow.....sure am glad to hear that everyone's alright. This sounds like a load worth scratching off before it even left. A $27 lesson in clusterfuge is worth writing off sometimes. That or landing with the plane, which might even be a beer moment if it's the first time you've actually landed in one of those things.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[shropshire 0]

Wow, what a great story - thanks for sharing it. maybe we can all learn from your experience.

It's so easy to get tied up "In the Moment". - scarry

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[airtwardo 6]

Listen to your gut!!

~ In flight training they say :

If it feels like there's something wrong - THERE IS!


Always better to be down here wishin' you were up there, than the other way around!

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

[Halfpastniner 0]

Im pretty sure I was there for this event. except instead of landing in someones backyard, I was at the bar laughing at the people who went for it!!

Glad to hear it turned out (mostly) ok

BASE 1384

[skittles_of_SDC 0]

The same week I ended up riding the plane down because I forgot to turn on my altitrack till like 9 grand. Some people tried to convince me to jump anyway and just do some mid-air math when it came to my landing pattern.

Before starting the descent the pilots (casa) kinda looked at me like 'why the fuck is he still here?'



edited for spelling.

[Hairy_Haggis 1]

Been there, done that, learned my lesson!

Scared the crap out of myself a few weeks ago by letting myself get 'bullied' into jumping.

I was first out with another fairly inexperienced jumper, and when I opened the door we could see nothing but cloud.

There were loads of shouts of GO and EXIT followed by someone physically trying to push me out, so i went..........

9000ft of solid cloud later and I was reaching for the pilot chute just as I came out of the bottom, soaking wet and fortunately close to the DZ.

I took it as a warning and promised myself I would listen to myself next time and just ride down with the plane no matter who was yelling at me!

It's not the speed that kills ya, it's the sudden stops!

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

Perhaps a few of my wingsuit friends who are online and will recall a jump when I stayed in the plane...

Scenario: We all were excited as hell to do a jump and flock n dock and a few had new wingsuits to try out....and although most of us were joking on the climb to alti, I made a mental note of the cloud cover base....and thought "holy shit! it's from 2k as the base...and goes solid up to 6K"...that wasn't exactly a comfort zone for me to be pulling in thick clouds, especially on a wingsuit jump...and taking it down to 2k before I could get my bearings to see the dz. Furthermore, the leader of the flock was new to the dz so we were all relying on him to direct us through the clouds and get to a reasonable off landing. The off landings at this particular dz were swamps and alligator infested.
Soooo....to the bottom line of my experience, I decided to stay in the plane. My close friend gave me MAJOR SHIT for my decision but SHE was the one we were searching for way past sunset in alligator infested swamps! because the person who was the "pilot" of the formation became disoriented and she as well as others landed way off. Thank Goodness no one was hurt but it was a bitch to find them after dark on remote roads and in a swamp. So...yes, Jeth, I agree about listening to your GUT instincts..Mine told me that day to stay in the plane.and I did...and I'm glad I did.

_________________________________________

[dragon2 0]

You mean you won't jump without an alti?

What if your alti fails halfway through a jump? You got eyes haven't you? Can't do your landing pattern without looking at an alti? At 100 jumps? I'd seriously work on that!

Some (most?) jumpers are WAY too device dependant

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[skittles_of_SDC 0]

Quote

You mean you won't jump without an alti?

nope. IMO, thats just stupid.

Quote

What if your alti fails halfway through a jump? You got eyes haven't you? Can't do your landing pattern without looking at an alti? At 100 jumps? I'd seriously work on that!

I mean I could probably do a pattern without an alti but it wouldn't be at 1000, 750 and 250. It might be within a hundred feet or so of those numbers but I'd rather stick with the altimeter for now.

Quote

Some (most?) jumpers are WAY too device dependant

probably. but without them i'd be dead.

[dragon2 0]

So, if there is a student or TM or AFFI or someone else who for whatever reason really needs an alti in the plane because theirs broke, you wouldn't give up yours and jump anyway?

One word. Sjeesh.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[phantomII 36]

One sentence: Bullshit remark.

[dragon2 0]

Why is that?

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[NickDG 23]

>>The pilot calls out to us and says he's gonna give 3 green lights.
I realize spotting has gone by the wayside these days, but it's still difficult to believe no one mentioned it as the root cause of incidents like this.

The green light never walks . . .

NickD

[LuckyMcSwervy 0]

Quote

Listen to your gut!!

I backed out of at least 1 possibly 2 tandem jumps (no ball busting please) late yesterday afternoon because I was friggin' fried mentally and wiped out physically, and little sore after ground school for about 4 hours before. Once I sat on the sofa in the hangar to wait I totally hit a wall and felt myself fading so I went to manifest and rescheduled both jumps for this morning. Maybe I should've grabbed a Red Bull or something?

So, I wake up this morning and feel like total shit so I call and reschedule for next Saturday.

I feel like such a loser but I can't concentrate when I feel like dirt. And I want/need to get these 2 tandems out of the way so I can jump with a coach.

Please tell me I did the right thing by staying home?

Always be kinder than you feel.

[Jeth 0]

Quote

>>The pilot calls out to us and says he's gonna give 3 green lights.
I realize spotting has gone by the wayside these days, but it's still difficult to believe no one mentioned it as the root cause of incidents like this.

The green light never walks . . .

NickD

Nick - that was another part of the problem. All of the people near the door were not from this dz. There should've been someone near the door who could spot that load. As a matter of fact - at the last second the organizer asked a local jumper to spot the load, but as we were all loading, she ended up in the back, so there was no spotter.

Thanks, everyone, for your encouragement and for also sharing your stories. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who has thought of riding the plane down.

"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters."
PFRX!!!!!
Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109
My Jump Site