Considerations when chopping a rental canopy

[JohnMitchell 14]

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I was trying to emphasize it is possible to safely land that malfunction in the event that you find yourself too low to cut it away. .

or you might find yourself taking a minor injury, such as broken or sprained ankle. I had that happen landing a broken "A" line on an old 5 cell canopy. Thought everything was good until tree top level and then it was "uh-oh." Best PLF I could do gave me a two sprained ankles and a cracked leg bone. Better than dying but I still wish I had chopped up high. You are right in that there is an altitude where you are too low to chop safely. Good lesson to learn.

[JohnMitchell 14]

***I dont agree. If you have a problem, get rid of it. I'd rather a person live and have to pay it off than see him killed.I think it is totally irresponsible to tell someone to try to untangle a malfunction before using the reserve. Absolutely irresponsible.

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Don't you belive in "2 tries to clear" on a low speed malfunction? It's helped me a few times. But you do have to be aware of time and altitude. I've also lost friends to what you talk about, so I'm not being flippant or callous. I just really believe that you can assess the situation and act accordingly.

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[JohnMitchell 14]

.Which I responded"Last thing that EVER should be on yor mind is how much this is going to cost if I cut it away."

Blue Skies

[Nightingale 0]

how would you have handled my malfunction, then? undoing a knot doesn't have as cut and dry a definition of a try as a grab for a hackey does.

[JohnMitchell 14]

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how would you have handled my malfunction, then? undoing a knot doesn't have as cut and dry a definition of a try as a grab for a hackey does.

I think I'd do it exactly the way you did it. Like you said, the "2 tries to fix" is a rule of thumb for floating handles, horseshoes, and lineovers. I've had the knot like you've had, and worked it out, one eye on the altimeter the whole time. Did you have to counter the turn with left toggle? I remember I had to do that. Also had a spinner after a premature opening at 12,500. Rode that one for a long time and got it to clear, even though I was just planning to chop around 2000. Main thing, I think, is to know where you are and how fast you are going. Nice job on your incident. Don't let anyone give you any @%#*%$ 'bout it.John

[Nightingale 0]

I did have to counter with the left toggle. I just took a wrap around my hand and then, just reaching across to the opposite riser to undo the knot was enough to get it to fly fairly straight.

[riddler 0]

Having chased a few cutaways on the ground, I wouldn't think twice about chopping a rental. Most of the time, it floats down over the landing area, you find the canopy and it's in good condition. If you jump at a DZ with less land area, you might have to ask someone to go on their property and get your canopy, but even then, you still usually get it.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[chriswelker 0]

I value my life more than rental gear.

Chris Welker

[Skypup 0]

I've had almost the exact same thing happen on some rental gear. Brake line got a nice tension knot when I unstowed.. Unfortunatly it was around my fingers so I was attached to my brakes.

Had I reached my hard deck, which was almost the case, I would have hook knifed the brake line and then made a real quick decision whether to land it like that or chop it. (Would have been a much uglier decision if I didn't have a hook knife on me. Might be tuff to deploy a reserve if you have a chopped canopy streamered off your fingers.)

Fortunatly, I was able to hold the other toggle with my teeth to keep from spinning much and then free my fingers with the other hand. I wouldn't have changed a thing if it was my rig.

I'm curious how many people remember to grab their knife when flying a different rig.

T.S.S # 5
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To dream great dreams is itself an act of daring. -Eric Shipton & Bill Tilman
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[jlmiracle 7]

My life is worth the cost of a main should it not be found, a cypres should I land in water, or a whole set up.

I've heard of people not wanting to chop because they didn't have the money for a repack. I told that person they really don't ever need to jump if you life isn't worth the cost of a repack.

Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[ryoder 1,381]

Why on earth would the ownership of the canopy even enter into a decision about emergency procedures??? And if it DID enter into the decision, why would it sway toward NOT chopping???

One of my favorite writers, P.J. O'Rourke, once said something like this: "The most satisfying, care-free, fun-to-drive, off-road vehicle I've ever driven was...a rental car."

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Vapor 0]

I gotta say, the general thrust of this thread has been extremely reassuring; I had a reserve ride this past weekend after 4 or 5 line twists that weren't responding to (what I thought was) quite a bit of riser seperation and three tries at counterspin kicking. Chopped a bit above my hard deck. Dropped both handles and PLFed into about three inches of mud. Needless to say, the absolute last thing in my mind at the moment was "both hands on $25.00 red handle, pull; look at $25.00 silver handle, both hands on, add tax, pull."

As for the decision to cutaway, there were a few constructive opinions offered afterwards (and that's not a euphemism; they really were constructive), along with a lot of congratulation and approval. I spent the day after the jump torn about whether I should have spent more time dealing with the mal, but I'll put it this way: I'm not 100% happy with my decision, but I'm 100% happy with the *results* of my decision.

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'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.'
- T.E. Lawrence

[ReLLiK75 0]

I can understand an ealier comment about if you rent it, you own it until you give it back. BUT..... If I go in to rent a rig, and I'm given a rig that's already packed and "ready to go", and then I have an unfixable mal on the very first jump with that rig, I'm sorry, but there's no way in hell I'm paying for the repack or anything that got lost as a result of the chop. Now, if I packed the mal, of course, I'll shell out the money, but that would be the only time. Am I alone in my feelings or just completely wrong?????

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Have you Got Flare?

[tbrown 26]

Nice job Kris, you have an exceptionally cool head and presence of mind to keep an eye on your alti as you worked.

Personally, the money or ownership of the canopy wouldn't even occur to me until later, I'd be too busy trying to stay loose and work the problem, or else get rid of it. I would be concerned about where the toggles were before chopping though, you wouldn't want to cutaway with even one hand in a toggle.

By the way, did you suggest to the gear shop that they put some elastic stows on the risers ? I've got velcroless toggles myself, also with no designated stow for the excess line. I've figured out a way to do it that's working well, but it's just flat out RIDICULOUS that the best gear makers in the world can create such a dangerous situation and call it an "improvement".

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[tfelber 0]

I had a similar incident using borrowed gear. I was doing a HALO jump and had a knot in one toggle. I really didn't want to cutaway either! I felt I had plenty of altitude since I opened at 6K btu with wrestling with my gloves and the oxygen mask and all it took me 3k-4k to work out the situation. I tested rear riser flairs and every other option I could think of but finally the knot popped and I landed without further incident.

As for the excess brake line issue, my risers don't have anything to stowe the extra so I create a single loop that I put around the end of the toggle prior to placing it in the keeper. Encolsed is a drawing to help you see what I mean. I've analyzed it for possible problems and jumped it for 140 jumps without incident. I feel more confident then having all the excess flopping around.