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kallend

Sun Path grounds Javelins with adjustable MLW

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Is this adjustable MLW arrangement new on the Jav? Did it replace an older design... I just find it surprising that 2 fatalities have occured in about 1 year with at their core an equipment failure, if this same tyep of equipment has been used for a while....



It may be nothing more than coincidence. If this failure had some random chance of happening, it could go a long time without failing then two could fail at once.

It's also possible that gear age, wear, or some other factor could be a link.

But our minds have a way of seeing patterns where there are none.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

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Is this adjustable MLW arrangement new on the Jav? Did it replace an older design... I just find it surprising that 2 fatalities have occured in about 1 year with at their core an equipment failure, if this same tyep of equipment has been used for a while....



I believe the Miami incident was on a rig that was about a year old. My old J5 that was found in the Stage 3 category last year was a DOM95.

I have no idea what the DOM was at SDC for this last accident.

Oh yea, I know for a fact that I fully check out my rig before every first jump each weekend - and even with a full/complete gear check I never saw any wear on the MLW.

Here is something else - I've recently been told that Sunpath is not the only company that uses this hardware for adjustable MLWs. Do you think those other companies should issue a SB (much like the SB offered for the gromet in the main tray)? What is the differenace that hasn't caused a break yet in their setup? Why are not all companies going to the hardware used on the tandem passenger harness?
_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

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Those containers were manufactured in 96. I don't believe SunPath offered the adjustable harness then. That sale is probably unrelated.

_Am



I had a DOM1995 J5 with an adjustable harness, so I would assume they offered it back then.

JP - I don't know much about the tandem harness - that is why I was asking.
_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

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Those containers were manufactured in 96. I don't believe SunPath offered the adjustable harness then. That sale is probably unrelated.

_Am




Probally unrelated yes, but... Maybe not. They may have given up on them before the SB came out. Also, I'm pretty sure you can see the adjustable MLW in one of the pictures.
~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

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>Now if we can just get these things out of the sky...

I'll be happy to take a few off people's hands!



Would you put them back in service with the current harness design? Without the "Administrators" approval, you couldn't change the design anyway but I'm curious as to whether you feel the harness design is fine the way it is, or you would make some changes if you could?

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J.P, I've emailed you twice so far and not gotten a response. Who I am is not the issue. My qualifications are not the issue. THE ISSUE IS SAFETY!! The issue is a theory which could explain why these rigs are failing. Again, Skydive Chicago (about which YOU had only good things to say) inspected the rig three times before a guy was killed in it. In the interest of safety, there's no reason why the things should not be grounded until a thorough, independent investigation is completed.

I normally wouldn't do this in a public forum, but for whatever reason, my attempts at contacting you privately have failed. Now, please voice any of your personal concerns about me privately.

(sorry everybody)

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In the interest of safety, there's no reason why the things should not be grounded until a thorough, independent investigation is completed.



That's exactly what this service bulletin requires. The rigs are all grounded until a master rigger certifies them as airworthy. Are you suggesting that ALL Master Riggers are somehow under the influence of Sun Path?

Why do we need to get these rigs "out of the sky" even after they've been cleared as safe by a Master rigger? Do you not trust the judgement of master riggers?

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>Would you put them back in service with the current harness design?

I'd perform the inspection (or have it done) and then use them as spare/demo rigs (as in demonstration jumps.) I could use a rig that can hold a Mojo 240 and a Manta.

>but I'm curious as to whether you feel the harness design is fine
>the way it is, or you would make some changes if you could?

I think it's acceptably safe for my use; I would make a few changes if I had the facilities to test the changes.

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>In the interest of safety, there's no reason why the things should not
> be grounded until a thorough, independent investigation is completed.

Ram-air mains often have lineover malfunctions; these have killed people. Someone who doesn't know much about skydiving might say "Ram-airs are proven unsafe! They should all be grounded until you can determine _exactly_ why lineovers occur, and make sure they never happen again." However, experienced jumpers know that the instance of lineovers is pretty low if gear is properly maintained and packed. Acceptably low, to most jumpers. And the alternative - going back to rounds - would be far, far worse.


>Who I am is not the issue. My qualifications are not the issue.
>THE ISSUE IS SAFETY!!

While the issue is indeed safety, your qualifications do come into play if you claim you know enough about the relative risks of using adjustable harnesses vs fixed harnesses for students, and are sure that removing adjustable harnesses from the equation would improve, rather than reduce, safety. If Sandy Reid, Jim Wallace or Rick Horn thought that it would be safer to temporarily switch to fixed harnesses, I'd listen to them. If someone with 30 jumps thought that, I wouldn't pay as much attention to them.

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J.P, I've emailed you twice so far and not gotten a response. Who I am is not the issue. My qualifications are not the issue.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

When people do not post their full profile, we take them less seriously.

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In the interest of safety, there's no reason why the things should not be grounded until a thorough, independent investigation is completed.



That's exactly what this service bulletin requires. The rigs are all grounded until a master rigger certifies them as airworthy. Are you suggesting that ALL Master Riggers are somehow under the influence of Sun Path?

Why do we need to get these rigs "out of the sky" even after they've been cleared as safe by a Master rigger? Do you not trust the judgement of master riggers?



Judgement to do what? If this is a problem in the engineering of the rig (and I'm not saying it is) then maybe even a master rigger is not qualified to analyze it. Maybe it will take a mechanical or materials engineer to figure out what's up.
...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

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your qualifications do come into play if you claim you know enough about the relative risks of using adjustable harnesses vs fixed harnesses for students, and are sure that removing adjustable harnesses from the equation would improve, rather than reduce, safety.



You're implying that I have a problem with all adjustables. Should a moderator put words in the mouth of somebody who never said them? The topic is, "Sun Path grounds Javelins with adjustable MLW." Although my thoughts are based on the Javelin with AMLW, it conceivably may or may not affect others. I don't know. I haven't looked at them. That's not the topic. I'm no expert. If somebody in the industry was truly an expert, this whole mess would have been prevented. I'm just somebody who understands physics and saw what seems to be a leverage issue.

Your quote of me somehow neglected to include the next sentence in which I said that the theory is the issue. Have you seen my theory? It's no work of art, but the general concept has not yet been disputed. It would be nice to see more people like (you know who you are) asking to first see a possible reason as opposed to jumping on the defensive. I could be wrong. I'd like to be proven wrong to set my mind at ease. It is just a theory containing thoughts which could be proven or disproven. That's what theory is about. I haven't the facilities to do that. Before you pass judgement on anything I have to say, please read what it is that I have to say first.

Your ram-air analogy only supports my point. Rounds aren't as safe. A harness in which two people died might not be quite as safe others. You can drop names like Sandy, Rick, Jim, B.J, Mike, Bill, Hank, Rebecca, Albert, and others until your fingers are numb. Somebody who's an expert in skydiving can influence policies. Somebody who's an expert in physics cannot change its laws.

The theory is in enough places where people of influence can exert more leverage than I could ever exert on my own. Anybody who's interested in what I have to say, I will respond to you as best I can. It might take time. If you already hate me and my fat, loud mouth, be thankful. This is my last post for a long time.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a summer to enjoy.

Peace.

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