"Never Let Your Guard Down"

[rgoper 0]

well, it finally happened. yesterday at AOTMB fifth jump of the day, normal skydive out of the CASA (Thanks Todd & Crew!) fun freefall, last audible alarm at 3500', arch out, deploy at 2600' immediate violent spinning malfunction. my chin was pinned to my chest, i could barely look up, and see my Cobalt, but i did, i saw my 2 red diamonds, canopy was fully deployed, BUT, i had line twists from the slider at the top of the canopy to my risers, my toggles and all were twisted up, it had my ring finger lodged in between them (glad i was wearing gloves) i immediately knew it was "unrecoverable" so i cut-away, and deployed my reserve, was under reserve at approx 1800' i was utilizing an RSL, but beat it to the reserve, i kept my cut-away handle, but lost my reserve ripcord when i unstowed my left brake (but i can live with that) i couldn't believe my reaction when i got to the ground, i was stoked, i don't know why, i've always wondered in the very back cathodes of my mind, if i would do the right thing, although i knew i would, i also would not have continued sky diving if i was not ready for this moment. the training, the constant rehearsals, drilling myself over, and over again, paid off. i had to buy beer (i don't even drink) for my first cut-away, and this was Sky Dive Aggieland's first cut-away. thanks to the really kewel chick who followed my freebag, and main down for me (she told me her name, but i forgot it, sorry sweetheart!) i hugged her, and told her "THANK YOU" thanks to Perry who saw me dragging my PD 193 on the asphalt on the way to the hangar, not a good thing. also thanks to Jahn of SDH for helping me get all my gear rounded up, and in one spot in the hanger, aggie dave, and pablo as well, they were all a big help. this was one great weekend! remember: you cannot rehearse your emergency procedures enough.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[bodypilot90 0]

is this your 1st chop?

[Jimbo 0]

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i was utilizing an RSL, but beat it to the reserve, i kept my cut-away handle, but lost my reserve ripcord when i unstowed my left brake (but i can live with that)

Glad to hear you dealt with the malfunction, but are you _sure_ you beat the RSL? If you did it means you probably pulled your handles out of sequence, but without the reserve ripcord we'll never really know.

Not suggesting that you did anything wrong, but if you think about how the RSL operates you'll realize that 'beating' the RSL (a) isn't likely, and (b) isn't really a good thing.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[Jessica 0]

My guess is that "beating the RSL" is in the same category as the thousand-foot snivel -- perceptions are skewed so people swear it happened, even though it really probably didn't.

Congrats on your safe cutaway, Richard.

Skydiving is for cool people only

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

Hey Richard, did you figure out what the cause of the spinner was? Brake come unstowed or something? Anyway, glad you made it though OK. As you stated, it's one of those things you just don't know how you will handle it until that time finally comes. I have been lucky to have only three rides in about 3100 jumps. Hell, ex-GK Neal Beverly went over 5000 jumps before he took his first reserve ride.

Chuck

[billvon 2,410]

>i was utilizing an RSL, but beat it to the reserve . . .

This is unlikely unless you pull both handles at the same time, which I don't recommend. The RSL opens the reserve before the cutaway handle is pulled completely (i.e. both risers disconnect before you reach full arm extension on a correctly designed and fitted rig) and the RSL fires the reserve within 200-300 milliseconds after the second riser releases.

[rgoper 0]

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This is unlikely unless you pull both handles at the same time, which I don't recommend.

i understand completely what your saying bill, but one things sure, i'm here. i was spinning on my back, i had one hand on my cut-away, and one on my reserve ripcord, i pulled my cut-away, and half a milisecond later, i pulled my reserve, i looked up long enough to see the pilot chute, and freebag shoot up into the air, and i was under my white PD 193 reserve, prettiest thing i'd ever seen! i had the reserve ripcord in my left had, went to unstow my brake, the right one was unstowed already, so i was turning to the right slowly, but i did forget that the toggles are set in velcro, so the left one was harder to unstow, and this was the first ride on it, i had the chance to observe for the "kink" in the cable, it wasn't there, i would've let the RSL have it, but i knew when i cut-away i would be in another quadrant when i chopped, thus minimizing the chance of firing the reserve into the main, never even saw the main until about 1000 agl. this was my first cut-away, my rig is going to be put back together now, and i will be removing my RSL, but maintaining my AAD. what caused the severity of the twists, and this is only speculation, is more than likely not leaving enough excess line stow, and upon deployment the d-bag hit the reserve and spun it up? i don't have a clue, it happened very quickly. by the way, i had just flexed my 3 rings the day before, just for this boogie, so it was an wasy pull, even with the twists, thanks for hard housings! by the way, whether i'm right or wrong on what i did, i'm alive, and the cut-away-reserve ride was "textbook" although i wont let it make me complacent. i did not write this post to get a bunch of "no, you should have done this, or no this couldn't have happened, i wrote it for our new folks, so they, maybe could benefit from my experience of constant rehearsal of emergency procedures, and being in the "zone" at deployment time. no other reason.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[rgoper 0]

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Brake come unstowed or something?

couldn't have unstowed them if i'd a had to, they were twisted up with the risers, all the way to the slider at the top of the main. when i retrieved the main, brakes were still stowed, slider still uncollapsed (i couldn't have reached it if i'da wanted to, and the lines had to be dissconnected from the risers for me to be able to untangle everything. in fact, as i said in my original post, my ring finger was caught in the left risers, i had to "yank" my hand free to get to the reserve handle, i'm glad i had gloves on!

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[freebird 0]

Richard I think you did what you were trained to do.
You apparently did it right. You made the right decision and you made that decision fast. I can't help but think (its my turn)


Im so glad that your still here and that you are ok we need wonderful people like you in this sport.

[rgoper 0]

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I can't help but think (its my turn)

Free:

when it is your turn, (and it WILL come) you will handle your emergency procedures just as i did, rehearse, practice relentlessley. you' be fine.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[PhreeZone 15]

>i had the chance to observe for the "kink" in the cable, it wasn't there

On some RSL pulls there is no kink observable on the cable unless you know what to look for. It never makes like a 45 degree bend, if you look at the cable at one point there should be a slight distortion to the cable, specifically one braid of it. If there was nothing at all thats usaully indication of an out of sequence pull on the reserve. Full break away and RSL pull are only about 4 inches vertically apart. If you beat the reserve that means the reserve pin was moving before the cables on the cutaway were clear of their loops on the risers.

When I chop... I know the RSL will beat me to the handle, its a matter of physics. I'll still pull both, but physically the only way foryou to beat the RSL is to pull out of sequence.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[RichM 0]

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i did not write this post to get a bunch of "no, you should have done this, or no this couldn't have happened, i wrote it for our new folks, so they, maybe could benefit from my experience of constant rehearsal of emergency procedures, and being in the "zone" at deployment time. no other reason.

Richard, glad you here with us, fundamentally your execution of your emergency procedures saved your life and thats good news. Posting your experience here and offering others a learning opportunity is also very applaudable, thanks. I'm a bit concerned that the above statement suggests that you are not interested in learning from this yourself, cutaway #1 does not a cutaway expert make, but I'm guessing you didn't intend your post to read like that.

Blue skies brother

Rich M

[rgoper 0]

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but I'm guessing you didn't intend your post to read like that.

your exactly right, no 2 cut-aways are the same, now, or will they ever be. i think the "experts" here have spoken for me. i am no expert, but i'm here. i'd really appreciate it if the resident "experts" would let me post without "breaking it down" after this it wont matter, i won't have an RSL to beat, then there will be no litigation.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[skreamer 1]

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after this it wont matter, i won't have an RSL to beat, then there will be no litigation

As long as you beat your CYPRES!

[christoofar 0]

The subject of cutaway experience came up this weekend while I was jumping. We swapped stories of 1,000-time jumpers, and a few 5,000+ jumpers who have the same # of cutaways: zero.

I wonder if they've become complacent about the thought that they'll need to use those handles someday, or even remember how to flare an F-111 if they've been zipping around with ZPs for so long. A friend argued that it's probably more like a scared-to-death door-feer nervosa that sets in when they start thinking about it... "OMG I have never cutaway... what do I do again for a lineover?!?!?" He could be right, too.

Being a low timer, I haven't had to cut away either... but I think having your right shoulder torn out in freefall and relying one the reserve, one working arm, and having no CYPRES counts as handling the same psychological pressure of a cutaway... at least to me. So now I feel "prepared" that I'll be able to handle the next emergency that comes my way.

Any "1,000"-jump-wonders with no cutaways care to comment?

____________________________________________________________
I'm RICK JAMES! Fo shizzle.

[flyhi 24]

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Any "1,000"-jump-wonders with no cutaways care to comment?

1,033 with no cutaways and no reserve rides. I touch my handles about 40 times before each jump. One of the last things I do before going out of the plane. That, and ensure my closing pin flap is in place as well as check my PC hackey. Haven't been in a hanging harness in probably 4 years. Haven't landed an F111 in about as long. Haven't done a PLF since jump 1,029. I feel good about that, sorta.

I do not fear a cutaway, but I don't feel good about talking about it. Bad karma. Hope I haven't jinxed myself, already.

Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics.

[nicknitro71 0]

Glad you made in one piece! Just out of curiosity how much do you load your Cobalt and in which position did you pull?

Thanks

Memento Audere Semper

903

[coho21 0]

Glad to hear you made it Richard!

BS
Jensen
YSD#0009

J
YSD#0009

[rgoper 0]

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Glad you made in one piece! Just out of curiosity how much do you load your Cobalt and in which position did you pull?

the Cobalt 170 is loaded at 1.5294, and i was on my back spinning rapidly when i cut away, i probably made three revs before cutting away, so i knew the main would go one way, and i'd be in a different quadrant when my reserve fired, thus removing the possibility of firing the reserve into the main.

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i had just flexed my 3 rings the day before, just for this boogie, so it was an was an easy pull, even with the twists, thanks for hard housings!

if no one takes anything else away from this "incident, take this with you, in my mind the importance of "flexing the 3 rings" at 30 day intervals is very important, i learned this from a very experienced colleague, the pull was effortless, once i got my hand on it.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[nicknitro71 0]

I'm sorry I meant the position when you pulled your main.

Memento Audere Semper

903

[billvon 2,410]

> i had the chance to observe for the "kink" in the cable, it wasn't
>there . . . .

Whether or not an RSL leaves a kink in the cable depends on a lot of things, including the closing loop tension, cable routing and slack in the reserve handle. In my experience, there is no kinking in about 30% of RSL-initiated deployments (i.e. cutaways on two-handle systems that have an RSL.)

> what caused the severity of the twists, and this is only speculation,
> is more than likely not leaving enough excess line stow, and upon
> deployment the d-bag hit the reserve and spun it up?

Quite possible, although any problem like that is usually more than one thing (i.e. a weak PC combined with too little slack.)

>i did not write this post to get a bunch of "no, you should have done >this, or no this couldn't have happened, i wrote it for our new folks,
> so they, maybe could benefit from my experience of constant
> rehearsal of emergency procedures, and being in the "zone" at
> deployment time. no other reason.

That's fine, but at the same time if you post here you will get comments on your actions, that's the nature of the board. I don't think anyone has claimed "no, you should have done XXX" . . . sounds like you had a problem and reacted to it well.

[rgoper 0]

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Quite possible, although any problem like that is usually more than one thing (i.e. a weak PC combined with too little slack.)

the 24" pc is brand new, it's a jim cazar, i bought it when i bought my cobalt just a couple of weeks ago. i would like to know what caused this, not to lay blame, but so i don't have to go through it again, i've had line twists before, but this way extreme, and unrecoverable. i fully expected a "hard cut-away" but did not, it came really easy, i always cut-away my main, and deploy my reserve just before handing it to the rigger that will be repacking it, and it cut-away just as easy loaded, as it did with me standing on the ground june 1st 2001 when Hook last repacked it.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[PhreeZone 15]

>june 1st 2001
June 1st 2002 maybe? Also :the 24" pc is brand new... I'd have probally went a bit larger with a 170 main. I jump a 30 inch f111 normally, I hooked up a 24 ZP a while a go to test and on my 150 I had a slight hesitation. On the 135 it was better, but still there. I'm probally going with a 26 ZP to replace my f-111 if I keep my 150 and a 24 ZP if I go 135. You might want to look into trying a 26 for a few jumps to see if that helps.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Jumperpaula 0]

Good job and glad your OK.

My first Mal was the exact same thing. Tight line twists past my riser. So tight they pinned my head down.

Be careful shipping that bottle to Colorado. You want it to get there in one piece.

You Jumped, You Lived. Nice Job.

[rgoper 0]

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I hooked up a 24 ZP a while a go to test and on my 150 I had a slight hesitation. On the 135 it was better, but still there. I'm probally going with a 26 ZP to replace my f-111 if I keep my 150 and a 24 ZP if I go 135. You might want to look into trying a 26 for a few jumps to see if that helps.

Phree:

i know you fly a Cobalt as i do. i put the 24" zero-p Jim Cazar on the main because that was manufacturer reccomendations, i even spoke on the phone with Dan Preston about it, this was the 30th jump on this canopy, i can tell you, it most definitely wasn't the pilot chute diameter, or the fact that it is "zero-p" what are your thoughts?

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"