Tandem Mal

[skydived19006 4]

Hand cam video of a malfunction I had a couple of weeks ago. I have something over 4000 skydives, of which 2500+ are tandem. Previous malfunctions were a line twist spinning Crossfire, and a tandem with multiple broken suspension lines (canopy was flying, sort of, but landing was not a viable option). This was the first one that really took me for a "ride". With all that was going on, spinning, etc., I was not able to see the cut away handle. I obviously did find it, but really couldn't say if I saw it, or simply located without seeing it. Hell of an adrenaline rush! I compared how much our hands were shaking after shutting off the camera on the ground. Hers looked like a normal tandem student after landing, mine looked like I was faking and exaggerating.

I don't know what the lesson would be, other than that to my knowledge, there is no way to really prepare, or simulate a violent malfunction. Eventually, it did pretty well stabilize into a consistent spin at least. Though, I'd had made the decision to get rid of it about 15 seconds before I was able to execute. I do initiate deployment around 6,000'. So, even after all the spinning, we were under a flying reserve by 4,000'.

I often say to my students "...because you don't know what I know!" There's more truth to it than they'll ever understand.

We did have a really nice landing! The reserve is a Precision TR375. I was doing a carving turn to flair, not so much to generate speed, but to manage the horse pasture I'd chosen to land.

Otherwise, enjoy the show!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3ENMl4R2b0

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[skydiverek 56]

Did you pull the reserve prior to cutting away? (attached).

[JohnMitchell 14]

skydiverek

Did you pull the reserve prior to cutting away? (attached).

Or just a fast acting RSL? I couldn't tell either. Nice screen grab, BTW.Thanks.

Boy, that sure looked like bad packing to me, but I'm no expert. Sometimes $hit does happen, and that was $HIT!

I noticed you stayed with it for a while. Were you pumping the toggles a couple of times?

[JohnnyMarko 1]

Damn....looks like I packed that thing!

[skydived19006 4]

JohnMitchell

***Did you pull the reserve prior to cutting away? (attached).

Or just a fast acting RSL? I couldn't tell either. Nice screen grab, BTW.Thanks.

Boy, that sure looked like bad packing to me, but I'm no expert. Sometimes $hit does happen, and that was $HIT!

I noticed you stayed with it for a while. Were you pumping the toggles a couple of times?

I think that it was a fast acting RSL. I analyzed that shot as well. In my mind, I know that I pulled the handles in order, but was questioning that due to the moment you (skydiverek) grabbed. Eventually, I concluded that since the camera was on my left hand, and that hand had not yet moved, it was proof that I'd pulled in order. Watch it again, and you'll see my left arm extends with the reserve pull, about a second after you see the reserve PC.

Yes, I'd agree that it was a packing error.

Yes, I did stay with it almost 20 seconds after making the decision to get rid of it. I did initially grab risers, but when it "took off" I immediately decided to chop it. With the spin, being thrown around, and the student harness riser, I could not see the cut away handle. The thought that it could be tucked under occurred to me, but it wasn't, I just could not get a line of sight on it. Obviously, pulling that handle was critical! In the end, I could not say if I saw it, or found it by feel.

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[riggerrob 558]

Congratulations!
A scary malfunction handled properly!

It looks like your steering lines knotted together.

That reminds me of the 1980s fashion of "shut-downs" ... er ... deep-stalls (with fully-inflated main canopies). I played with that until I heard of an Australian who knotted his steering lines together below 1500 feet. He "enjoyed" a short reserve ride.
Hah!
Hah!

You demonstrated better technique when you deployed your reserve by 4,000 feet.

[hillson 0]

Confession: know nothing about tandems.

What are the yellow cables that are in frame at :20ish? Merely curious.

[JohnnyMarko 1]

Deployment cable

ETA: main ripcord, whatever you wanna call it

[hillson 0]

Thx

[JohnMitchell 14]

skydived19006

With the spin, being thrown around, and the student harness riser, I could not see the cut away handle. The thought that it could be tucked under occurred to me, but it wasn't, I just could not get a line of sight on it. Obviously, pulling that handle was critical! In the end, I could not say if I saw it, or found it by feel.

That sure gets your attention, doesn't it?

When doing my drogue fall handle checks, I often find it hard to get to cutaway and reserve handles while the student is arching w/shoulders back. That's one reason I like to "tap" their arms back into the harness while I deploy. So far I've got about 6 tandem cutaways, one a high speed streamer, and have had no problem finding the handles.>>

Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

[skydived19006 4]

hillson

Confession: know nothing about tandems.

What are the yellow cables that are in frame at :20ish? Merely curious.

I'd call it a drogue release rip cord.

See attached

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ