Altimeter stuck at exit altitude.

[skyPrincess2002 0]

This weekend jumping out at 10,500 after about 20 seconds I check my altimeter and it was still at 10,500. I showed my partner - she then showed me we were at about 5 grand and tracked off to pull. Needless to say - It was a great lesson on Altitude awareness, being able to judge the landing pattern, and make sure the equipment is working properly. Don't jump with something that is not working perfectly. I bought a new Altimeter today!
The malfunctioning one will be retired. It is old and not working properly.

[andy2 0]

Did the needle ever return to 0 or was it permanently stuck on 10.5? How old was it? What brand was it? Could water damage screw with an alti? I have seen people tap on the top of altimeters to twitch the needle, to see if it is moving freely, is this a good practice to get into? These are just some of the questions I have!

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let my inspiration flow,
in token rhyme suggesting rhythm...

[skyPrincess2002 0]

It was having moving issues for a few months. I think it had been dropped one too many times. When I got on the plane - I adjusted it to -0- and then tapped it. Usually when I tap it - it moves. Not good practice - I should have had someone look at it weeks ago. It stayed at 10,500 and when I hit it, it went to 6,000. I was still about 1,000 feet off at that point. I had someone look at it when I got down, and brought it up for a test - still about 1,000 feet off.
I assume it has an internal crack - that is what someone said could be the problem. In that case, it is un-usable. I think it is a Saffire - borrowed from my date. It's old.

[pamrussell 0]

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When I got on the plane - I adjusted it to -0- and then tapped it.

Not that it had anything to do with the cause of your problem, but surely you shouldn't adjust the alti IN the plane?

[skydivejersey 0]

It might also be worth investing in a ditter.
Always like to have a back up device. Everything can fail..

[Skylark 0]

This happened two days ago at Sebastian. Some guy who was consolidating realised that his alti hadn't changed from 12k for a while. He looked at the ground and realised he was low and pulled. Was in the saddle at about 2.5k. While on the ground the alti showed 2k.

"Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

[bch7773 0]

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When I got on the plane - I adjusted it to -0- and then tapped it.

Not that it had anything to do with the cause of your problem, but surely you shouldn't adjust the alti IN the plane?

Its not a problem if the planes still on the ground. people at my dz routinely zero their altimeters while the plane is taxiing onto the runway.

MB 3528, RB 1182

[skyPrincess2002 0]

I adjusted in the plane - still on the ground.

[BenGriffiths 0]

I always put my alti on about 5 minutes before I get in the plane - and the zero it just before I get in the plane.

An Alit can be affected by your skin temperature. Somtimes I've put my alti on and after it's heatde up to my skin temperature - it's showing up to 500 feet difference.

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Ben G
Still Sinking :-(

[robskydiv 0]

Hi Princess. Jumping with someone else paid off. You reacted superbly. When in doubt, whip it out and go with the flow.

[skyPrincess2002 0]

It's always good to not panick - also I am glad I was with one of the best!
I was a little worried about the final approach and landing, but it was good to use my judgement and to know I CAN DO IT!

[Scrumpot 1]

From your original Post:

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This weekend jumping out at 10,500 after about 20 seconds I check my altimeter and it was still at 10,500. I showed my partner - she then showed me we were at about 5 grand

Couple o' questions. So, are you saying that from exit, all the way to 5k you had NOT yet as of that time even glanced at your alti to notice it was not moving?

From your last post:

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I was a little worried about the final approach and landing, but it was good to use my judgement and to know I CAN DO IT!

So, are you saying that on your "final approach and landing" is when you DO look at/use your alti.?

Serious questions here. ...Does anybody else see where I am going with this?

Please don't take me wrong. I am not going to disparage/flame. However, I do think some further discussion & thought for yours (& perhaps even others) benefit should be had here, based upon whatever your answers turn out to be on these.

Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences! Blue Skies,
-Grant

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[Faber 0]

wear a dytter and rember to maintain your visual alti.You know its mecanic so it migth just need some oil.... my local rigger also check altimeters and can make smaler adjustments/fix it if required.But ok,sounds like you had mony enough

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[Scrumpot 1]

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Not that it had anything to do with the cause of your problem, but surely you shouldn't adjust the alti IN the plane?

Why not? She said she did it immediately as she got into the plane. Do you know of something further that could cause concerns that we should consider? Even if it did have nothing to do with THIS one particular problem/experience?

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[skyPrincess2002 0]

I believe I am very Altitude aware. That has never been a problem for me (knock on wood). We were about 20 seconds into the skydive - my partner was wearing a chest mount alti. and an audible. (no I am not relying on partner for awareness). My first glance... Maybe 6-6.5 grand. Give my brain a few seconds to translate the problem, and get my partners attention. She said I turned to track and pull at about 5 grand. Safe?

[billvon 2,396]

>So, are you saying that from exit, all the way to 5k you had NOT yet
>as of that time even glanced at your alti to notice it was not moving?

That's about what I do. I don't even look at it until I see that we're getting close to breakoff or pull altitude. On most jumps I look at it once, tops - and it's usually 5-15 seconds before breakoff.

[skyPrincess2002 0]

whew! I am glad I am not the only one not staring at my altimeter for 58 seconds.

[billvon 2,396]

>I am glad I am not the only one not staring at my altimeter for 58 seconds.

Yeah, as long as it's just a backup to your eyes, your eyes don't need to be glued to it. Using it as a backup only helps prevent problems like yours from being fatal.

[andy2 0]

[QUOTE]whew! I am glad I am not the only one not staring at my altimeter for 58 seconds.[/QUOTE]

I hope nobody does that. I do however, glance at my altimeter every 10 or so seconds, and glance at the ground to try to judge "what it looks like from this altitude". Granted I am at 17 jumps. Bill, at what experience level did you stop looking at your altimeter until a few moments before breakoff? I'm still developing my inner "clock".

---------------------------------------------
let my inspiration flow,
in token rhyme suggesting rhythm...

[billvon 2,396]

> Bill, at what experience level did you stop looking at your altimeter
> until a few moments before breakoff? I'm still developing my
> inner "clock".

It was pretty gradual. When I got my AFF rating at 500 jumps or so I was still looking pretty often. By the time I was doing really big stuff (100+ ways) at around 1500 jumps I would look at it only once or twice.

[Scrumpot 1]

It sounds as if she was pretty "aware" & seems like a pretty "heads-up" jumper, this is great.

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That's about what I do. I don't even look at it until I see that we're getting close to breakoff or pull altitude. On most jumps I look at it once, tops - and it's usually 5-15 seconds before breakoff.

And this is fine for you Bill, you have what now ...approaching 3,000 jumps? I think you even state in a later post here that you did not develop this until at least 500 jumps & then really only too once you started to get into bigger-ways (1500 jumps?).

Now, I'm not advocating by any stretch that people be "staring" at their altimiters. However, this jumpers profile indicates she has @65 jumps and I do think that is probably just a little too early to not even be aware of your altimeter until it is close to break-off/pull time. At this stage in the game IMHO you are just now beginning to more rapidly be involved with & getting absorbed into your RW skills (if you are RW -actually more applicable if you are head-down). Way too easy to get caught up in those "last attempts to make that dock", etc & lose track, if at only 65 jumps you have ALREADY built a habit of not to look until "20 seconds in" to your skydive. I do think this still bears a little more thought.

No one has commented either on my observation or query on the other end of the skydive though too. I don't think I see the purpose in the alti AT ALL on "FINAL APPROACH". ...Anyone have any comments or feedback on that?

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[skyPrincess2002 0]

Wow - I just updated my profile. I have doubled my jump number and even though I know I am NO WHERE near the High level jumper, I am Altitude Aware.

Regarding my comment on Final approach. I really like to know when I am at 1,000 feet. Our DZ has a set up landing pattern that I like to follow. We all land the same direction noted on the first person down - so I really like to be heads up at 1K. No, I am not looking at my Altimeter when I am at <100 ft.

Thanks for all your comments - I think Altitude Awareness is VERY VERY VERY important.

[chuteless 1]

You are totally right Scrumpot. Why bother to look at the altimeter when approaching the ground? Look at where your going to put your feet. Main use for altimeter is on approaching "breakoff". One should get use to eyeballing altitude...to recognize 3000ft 2000ft.Learn to judge from size of things...using your altimeter, then learnto eyeball without relying on the altimeter. Bill Cole

[bluefingers 0]

Hi there
I had a dodgy alti on my first jump of the weekend, a Barigo, belonging to the club. It was RW coach jump, the very basic stuff (just driving forward and docking). At between 5 and 4500ft (which was break off alti anyway) I glanced at my alti and saw the needle bouncing around quite radically. I immediately waved off, tracked for 3 seconds, waved off and pulled. I had fairly good idea of where I was in the sky because of my previous alti checks. I looked at my alti under canopy, and it seemed to be working fine, but I didn't use it for my landing pattern. I used my eyes. Mind you, having done umpteen static line jumps with no alti, I have a good idea of what 1000ft looks like.

Second jump of the weekend was scary, but I'm going to start a new post about that.

Kerry

[HRHSkyPrincess 0]

From one Royal to another: Be thou always altitude aware...from many sources. Sounds like you kept your cool, reacted correctly when the problem was discovered, and disposed of the 'problem' upon landing! Never cry over a man or a fouled altimeter, just yell: NEXT!

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Attitude is everything!