Interesting Mal!

[freeflir29 0]

It was a P/C malfunction I hadn't seen before. Myself and two others had an uneventful sit fly. When I got back to the hangar Lyle started explaining his P/C in tow malfunction. After talking with the DZO he showed us the most likely cause. Somehow, the bridal had become looped around part of the P/C preventing it from inflating. The jumper looked back after he dumped and saw the P/C waving in the breeze. He then executed a "manual deployment" of the bag. (Just reached back, pulled the pin and threw out all he could.) Amazingly, it opened.
Trey (DZO) said he had seen it before and showed us the most probable way it occured. It was most likely some bad luck mixed with packing method. I learned a new way to pack my P/C although I did have the strange twists the next jump so I dont know if I have it down yet?
"Don't give a F$#ck if I'm comin or leavin"-Pappa Roach
Clay

[apoil 0]

What has become of us that we describe some of our jumps as "uneventful"
You jumped out of a plane saved your life! Every jump is eventful.
Anyhow, it makes sense to try to extract the pin like that provided you don't go unstable and don't spend the rest of your life doing it.
As to the line twists, it seems pretty unlikely to me that your pc packing method would induce line twists.
Saut A. Poil

[freeflir29 0]

"it seems pretty unlikely to me that your pc packing method would induce line twists"
Yeah, it doesn't seem likely to me either. I had just never experienced a bag spinning just as it came off my back. I felt the burble of the spinning bag. I'm guessing bad body position from a hung over and lazy jumper but who really knows?
Uneventful- Nothing out of the "normal" course of events. No matter how abnormal falling out of a plane may seem.
"The cab driver said... he recognized my girly by the back of her head" -Beasty Boys
Clay

[Grogs 0]

We had a nearly identical mal a few months ago. The guy had borrowed the rig from one of his SEAL buddies, and when he threw out he ended up with a PC in tow. He popped the reserve and landed uneventfully (main stayed in the container). When our riggers inspected the rig on the ground, they determined that the PC in tow was caused by the bridle making a half-hitch around the pilot chute. Most likely, there had been some excess bridle sticking out of the pilot chute pouch, and when the jumper pushed it back down, it somehow found its way through one of the S-folds of the bridle at the back of the pilot chute. When he threw out the PC and the bridle went tight, it locked itself down and strangled off the pilot chute.

[aufreefly 0]

I think we should show what he did as something not to do. If you have a weak throw and reach back to "throw" the bag out of your container something worse could happen. The pilot chute was described as flapping around. What would have happened if the flailing pilot chute had wrapped around one of his wrists as the main was deploying. A reserve ride might have been a better option.

[MarkM 0]

PC in tow = total mal = go straight for reserve.
Or am I remembering my training wrong?

[Aviatrr 0]

Quote

PC in tow = total mal = go straight for reserve.
Or am I remembering my training wrong?

That may be your training(if you're remembering it correctly) - but it's a very controversial subject.. I, personally, am on the other side of the fence.. I believe that during a PC in tow, it should be cutaway then reserve.. This is so that if the main ends up coming out of the container when the reserve deploys(relieving tension on the main container), it will likely just fall off the back still in the D-bag rather than deploy and have 2 out.. But, that's just my opinion..
Mike

[Geoff 0]

Another good reason to cutaway first is simply that you don't have to make a decision. One drill for all malfunctions.
Like you say, this is a controversial sibject, but most people agree the most important thing is to have a single plan of some kind and stick to it.
Geoff

[flyhi 24]

Quote

I learned a new way to pack my P/C although I did have the strange twists the next jump so I dont know if I have it down yet?

A rigger told me that line twists will occur if the D-bag hits, bumps, or knocks against the bottom of the reserve container as it deploys. This causes it to start spinning. He said that this can be caused by making the last stow too close to the top of the risers.
flyhi