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pash

First Cutaway

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I exited solo from 13,500' on my 25th jump to earn my A License. I purchased a new RW suit with booties and practiced mantis position with knee turns. I deployed at my planned 4,500' with quick waveoff and pull. I looked up and right immediately and observed line twists that continued down the strings and eventually into the risers. I grabbed both risers at 3 or so line twists and pulled the outward. As the twists reached my hands, I lowered my grip and continued to pull the risers in opposite directions. I never initiated a kick in the opposite direction of the line twists. At the 5th or so line twist I stopped spinning but could not pull the risers out to counter. At this point my risers had pushed my head forward but still I did not attempt to kick out of the twist. I attempted to pull the risers apart for about 5 seconds without kicking and made the decision to cutaway. Based on my recollection of time, conversations with instructors, and eyewitnesses, I cutaway at 3,500'. I was at the perimeter of the landing zone downwind and held at the edge until my final approach and stood up the landing away from traffic.

I feel I was very aggressive with my center turns and though I remember feeling stable at deployment, I still believe my aggressive turns and possible casual arch, reach, pull with a slight turn caused my line twists. I was suprised by how quickly the lines twisted down to the risers.

I never attempted to kick out of the line twists nor did I look at my altimeter at cutaway.

I learned a few things from this incident (if this is an incident - if not perhaps it will be moved to another forum):

1) I'm still alive
2) I had more time to continue dealing with the situation than I gave it (I attribute this to my low number of jumps and never having experienced this situation before).
3) Hiking through the woods, getting stung by bees, getting cuts and scrapes from thorns, and the potential loss of $1500 will not prevent me from cutting away in the future, but given the exact same situation I would pull stable but not cutaway at 3,500', instead I would attempt to kick as I was instructed and give it to 2,500' before cutting away.

I did earn my A License yesterday. I did speak with many people during and after hours and I have their insight into this situation. I would like to open it up to comment here as I have been a long-time reader but never posted here before - I know there are people here who's insight has been helpful and those are the folks I am trying to reach. Is this cut and dry or is there discussion about this? Did I learn what I needed to or did I make mistakes that I shouldn't have with my jump count? Is there more to learn?

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was your canopy flying straight? If it was spinning there is a chance that it may not recover. Regardless, you lived and I'm sure it felt like the thing to do at the time. I personally would not have cut away at 3500 ft unless the canopy was spinning. That's just what I would do. I'll say again, you lived, and it was your decision. As they say, "when in doubt, whip it out".
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!



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First of all, thank you for your reply. In reply to "why not" I'm assuming you mean kicking. Given my low number of jumps and the fact that I was fixated on my lines twisting over and over again down to my risers and then over them, pushing my head forward, I was not aware of how much time I had and I also neglected to kick as instructed. Why? It's difficult to admit but I did not perform as perfectly as I could have in the situation. Kicking very much could have saved me a long time in the woods and a good deal of money. Given the same situation, I would kick and give it a little more time.

I was forced to look at the ground due to the risers being twisted but with the intensity of the situation coupled with my inexperience in dealing with it, the input meant little. At the time I recalled a video I watched where the skydiver experienced line twists where he was looking up and pulling the risers and lowering his hands to avoid being tangled as the risers closed further, he cutaway. I just remember thinking that WOW I am about to cut this malfunction away from me. Now I won't think so much of the video as I will the actual situation I'm deaing with (i.e. altitude, severity of twists, KICKING..etc).

My reserve opened as a result of my RSL functioning properly. The reserve was over my head before I was able to grab my reserve handle. I did not think to pull that once I had the reserve over my head. Just more of a thought at how white (AND SQUARE) it looked.

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I feel I was very aggressive with my center turns and though I remember feeling stable at deployment, I still believe my aggressive turns and possible casual arch, reach, pull with a slight turn caused my line twists.



Don't be too quick to blame yourself for line twists. The d-bag can get spinning on its own due to how it gets pulled out of the container or uneven line stow tension, etc.
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

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The 2,500 foot decision-making altitude is used as a tool for students who cannot determine whether they have a good canopy or bad canopy by that altitude. If you cannot decide by 2,500' - that is when the decision to cutaway is made.

You decided earlier than 2,500' - so what?

Bees, trees, money, - so what?

In my opinion, it's better to cutaway a good canopy and be wrong, than to not cutaway a bad canopy and be wrong.
Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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We lose people every year because they DON'T pull the damn handle. I chopped a cobalt that I only had a few jumps on because of line twists that I couldn't get out.

I kicked, but I think I kicked the wrong way (oops).

Learn what you can, get back on the horse and move on. I've heard people that pulled silver after two attempts at the pud stand on the ground and say "I should have tried a third time." If they made three attempts, they might have tried a fourth, or a fifth.

Log it, buy your rigger a bottle (write your name and date on the label) and say thank you. Hey- if you ever want a tandem rating you've got one requirement filled already.

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A cut-a-way every so often keeps it interesting. Are you more confident in your em proceedures working? Good ! Might try some hanging harness time to review kicking out a line twist at your leisure. Watch your altitude. Stay calm - Ha - Ha. Get rid or a problem before 1800 ft. Say high to Sceff. Kevin in LV
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Disclaimer: I have only a few more jumps than you, but I still want to put my 2 cents in!

One thing no one has really drilled here is that you need to remain altitude aware. What if you had been at 500 feet when you initiated the cutaway?!:S

I cutaway about a month ago (on jump 27) after end cell closure that I couldnt clear. My hard deck is 2000', I spent from 2900' to 2300' trying to inflate the end cells on one side of my canopy. At 2300' it started turning, and I cutaway before it picked up too much speed (it was a 240 so I doubt in hindsight that it even would have picked up too much speed!). A few experienced jumpers told me that it was an unnecessary cutaway, but from my persepective (which is probably the same as yours since we are at the same level) I was taught if it's not 100% dont land it. I didnt have enough knowledge to know if this was likely to collapse at 100' or start spiralling or whatever, so I made a choice and stuck to it. Don't second guess your decision, you landed safely and that's all that matters. Just learn from it, and decide if you would do it differently next time.

Oh, and I'm sure you know, you owe BEER!;)
www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

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good job you saved your own life!!

never forget that, it doesnt matter it it was overkill to cut it away o not, you got to the ground safe. So what you have to pay for a packjob who gives a rats butt.

Everyone else is not up there with you in that situation so dont let someone tell you that you did the wrong thing. just learn from it and move on!
--------------------------------------------------
Fear is not a confession of weakness, it is an oportunity for courage.

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Thanks all for the input - FYI - I paid and tipped the packer and bought the rigger a bottle of spirits of their choosing. Everyone else at the drop zone enjoyed the beer for the A License and more beer for the first reserve ride.

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Yeah dude, I was gonna say, FIRST cutaway, A-license, BEER!

you cut away about 500 feet before I pull, there's things that could've been done better (in my personal opinion), but you're alive!!!! and live to jump another day!

assesment of the situation: ABsolutely terrific JOB, who knows, maybe one day we'll jump together *applause*B|


BE THE BUDDHA!

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Then you pull 500' above my hard deck! I've had line twists since and kicked out as I should have originally. By the way, they did recover my canopy, freebag, and pilot chute and after inspection by a master rigger, all checks out good. When the gear came back, the consensus was that the lines were pretty F#$% wrapped up but I suppose that could be several variables (of course I would like to think the mess I saw on the ground was the reality of what was happening in the air). So just the $150 finders fee and a 30-pack of beer for WILD BILL bought me the gear back! Hope to see you out there dude!

Jason

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$150 finders fee. That's just rude. Just about every DZ I have jumped at (including US ones) people will just return your gear to you at no cost (though a beer in return is polite). I know there is a team at the WFFC who search and find gear, and I've heard DeLand operates a search and recovery thing. How many other DZs have "finders fees"?

As for all the twists once the gear is recovered. It doesn't tell you much. The canopy spins and twists and does God knows what else on the way down after a cutaway. Trying to get the lines straight is one of the joys you get to go through after you chop!

Blue skies

Paul

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Don't want you to think it was the actual drop zone charging. Just a guy that makes his only living from tips braving the jungle looking for canopies once the rest of us are exhausted. He's grown up there and knows the woods very well. He saved me a good amount of $$$ :)

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