Maximum Exposure TV Incidents

[dorbie 0]

Don't know if this has been discussed but my TIVO caught a great Maximum Exposure show with two incidents that probably offer more potential for informed post mortem than most since they were both on video.

One was a demo jump where the skydiver came down over the seating on his front risers fighting a headwind and didn't seem to flare at all, seemed like he could have towards the end but he just went in, feet then face, but he survived with a few broken bones.

Another and the more interesting for me was the AFF student from hell: the video starts with a normal AFF level-1, the student waves off to pull and seems to hesitate so the instructor on his right takes his hand back to the ripcord down by the student's right hip, but on the way down the student finds the cutaway and grabs it. The instructor pulls his arm and assists the pull probably hoping in part to move the hand away, but the cutaway is pulled (TV show annoyingly makes *NO* mention that this is what is happening), immediately the instructor pulls the main ripcord. Predictably the main bag deploys, pulls the student up on the risers before the 3 rings release the risers. The right instructor keeps his grip, I'm sure he knows what the situation is, unfortunately the instructor on the left may not be aware things are going badly on the other side, and he releases his harness hold because untill the rings release it looks to him like a normal deployment (my interpretation). So when the student is pulled up by his risers then cutaway he tumbles over the AFF instructor holding on his right, but at least the cutaway is clean. The instructor releases or loses his grip on the student, unfortunately the student is totally dearched and falls rapidly on his back flailing a bit.

The instructor is arching like crazy trying to catch the student but he's falling too fast and not even attempting to arch. The instructor points (based on student comments I assume as a hand signal telling the student to pull) and eventually he pulls on his back, fortunately gets a very nice reserve opening. Don't know if his AAD fired the student said he pulled but the video doesn't really show enough detail to tell.

The next phase of the student's jump video shows him clearly landing way off and he flies right into powerlines suffering burns. The cameraman filmed this all the way to the student pull so it probably wasn't that far off when he finally got hs reserve opened.

The Max X show gave the misleading impression that the whole thing was just some scary random thing that might happen when you go skydiving, no mention of the numerous screw ups.

[Malta_Dog 0]

This looks like the infamous 'Lutz incident'...

All your dropzone are belong to us!!!!111!

[jumperconway 0]

Unfortunately the tv media/sensationalist don't realise that telling the actual facts would be just as interesting to the general public and beneficial to our sports reputation. They just portray us as a bunch of whacked daredevil thrill seekers cheating death one more time on every attempt.

[davidw 1]

RSL anyone?

[PhreeZone 15]

This will be moved out of here fairly shortly.

They were playing the Lutz incident again. Search the fourms and its detailed quite well there along with his lawsuits.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[dorbie 0]

Sorry for the repost, the student screwed up big time, and not just once or twice. Very annoying that he's suing after seeing that video. Edit: Sued and lost
Before you take an AFF course you gotta ask yourself honestly "Am I a complete dumbass?". If the answer is yes then you shoud probably take up lawn croquett or something similar.

[pilotdave 0]

The Lutz video and nasty comments
Dave

[ifics 0]

anyone have another format of that video, I dont want to dl real player..

[Ruskin 0]

[In reply to]Before you take an AFF course you gotta ask yourself honestly "Am I a complete dumbass?". If the answer is yes then you shoud probably take up lawn croquett or something similar.

[bigbearfng 9]

Most everyone is referring to him as a dumbass due to his own comments. As someone previously said-if it wasn't for his actions and words afterwards-it would just be a student that kinda blew it, and no big deal against the guy.
But this guy ranted about his instructors not knowing what they were doing and just made up incredible BS to try to make himself look good! And then tried to sue! As I understood it, he tried to not only sue the dz, but also the power co. for putting those power lines there in his way!
BTW-I had to repeat level 4 twice, it seems like most folk get hung up on level 4....so no big deal...

[bob.dino 0]

Try Real Alternative: http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternative.htm

[dorbie 0]

Quote

As you have not entered any details about yourself I don't know what your experience etc. is but as a struggling student I find the above comment quite insensitive.

You and most other AFFs have a long way to go before you earn the monicker I gave this guy. The suggestion was of course rhetorical.

Sorry, this guy is a dumbass, you should *listen* to the video as well as watch it. He's earned that title not merely through his spectacular ineptituede, but by his willful failure to understand or admit the causes of his predicament (damaging the reputation of skydiving as a result). That's his final and most dangerous mistake. You can screw up, but screwing up many times and then not admitting any of it in the face of clear proof.... well, you can only hope for his sake he stays firmly on the ground, because making several potentially fatal mistakes and having them all video taped has not taught him a darned thing.

At the end he compares himself to Wile E. Coyote, and that's the most accurate thing he says in his entire commentary, Wile E. never learns.

[good2bcld 0]

As a student (21 jumps) I can certainly understand that our senses can become overwhelmed. As an AFF level I student, his only real responsibility was to understand his emergency procedures and follow his instructors instructions on landing (the instructors can keep you stable, pull for you if you lose altitude awareness etc) .

I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt (reluntantly) that during the skydive he was overwhelmed (and not a dumbass), but in listening to his response to the video, he still thinks that his parachute "just flew away"...sorry, but that IS a D... A... Anyway you look at it!!

[lowie 0]

Quote

Try Real Alternative: http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternative.htm

Cheers for that I can finally play the rm files

[Ruskin 0]

I understand where everyone is coming from now. I think you are referring to him as a Dumbass more in relation to what he said and how he reacted AFTER the jump rather than during it. This was not clear from your original post though. Perhaps you could update your profile anyway so those of us don't know you know your experience etc.