Incorrectly stowed brake -> minor malfunction & damage

[sunkenstate 0]

I'm writing to briefly share my experience incorrectly stowing a toggle which resulted in a minor malfunction and damaged equipment.

I pulled around 4,500. The opening seem a little strange, based on my limited experience, and there were minor line twists which cleared quickly. The end cells were not totally inflated. The canopy also was in a gradual right turn. Once the line twists were clear, I went for the toggles but had trouble with the left one. It came free with some effort and I assumed the toggle was just unusually tight in the locking loop. I cleared the end cells, control checked, and flew in for a standard landing.

On the ground, I saw the elastic toggle keeper on the left rear riser was almost entirely gone. Only the fabric directly under the stitching remained. The local rigging guru believes - and I concur - that I likely stowed the left toggle in the steering line locking loop ABOVE the guide ring and just under the elastic keeper. On opening, without the guide ring to keep it in place, the steering line locking loop probably pulled straight up, off the toggle, and shredded the elastic right off the riser. This would also explain the right turn on opening. The line twists might have been from the brake or just my overall crummy pack job.

Anyways, I got the rig repaired and learned a few lessons. Namely: if I'm tired or unfocused when packing - and I was - call it a damn day and go home... which I did immediately after getting my rig back. It was a humbling wake-up call. Anyways, just wanted to share.

-Peace

[Scrumpot 1]

You certainly wouldn't be the 1st to do this, and I've seen, well - let's say some even further "creative" toggle-stowage (attempts) as well, before. However, good reminder for the masses...

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[sebcat 0]

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Anyways, I got the rig repaired and learned a few lessons. Namely: if I'm tired or unfocused when packing - and I was - call it a damn day and go home...

Another thing that might be worth considering is to have redundant checks as a part of your packing procedure, and sticking to it like it's some sort of weird religious rite, or as if your life depended on it :). It will take longer to pack, but I think it's worth it. I stow my toggles, check them visually, pull firmly on the steering line above the cat's eye toward the canopy to check the stow, and make a second visual check when I stow the risers in the container. Visual check involves some touching and going through the procedure in my head. It's not "check brakes", it's "the toggle is through the cat's eye below the ring and stowed in the elastic thingy, the excess brake line is stowed ..." etc.

Redundant checks goes for the entire pack job, not just for the toggles part. You might develop a mild case of OCD, but that's normal. If you implement this properly, you will soon be able to pack a single container system on a packing tarp, in the woods, in the dead of night, being tired as f*ck. YMMV.

[zhais 1]

This same exact scenario happened to me yesterday.

When I pulled, I experienced a rather very hard opening, and the canopy was pulling to the right. Get toggles down, everything is fine.

Go to pack it, and notice that the fabric where the toggles are stowed is completely ripped out, as well as the metal pin on the toggle is bent at > 90 degree angle.

They determined the packer stowed it above the guide ring. (yay I didn't pack it!)

[airtwardo 6]

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This same exact scenario happened to me yesterday.

When I pulled, I experienced a rather very hard opening, and the canopy was pulling to the right. Get toggles down, everything is fine.

Go to pack it, and notice that the fabric where the toggles are stowed is completely ripped out, as well as the metal pin on the toggle is bent at > 90 degree angle.

They determined the packer stowed it above the guide ring. (yay I didn't pack it!)

...and what did YOU learn from that?

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[DaVinciflies 0]

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This same exact scenario happened to me yesterday.

When I pulled, I experienced a rather very hard opening, and the canopy was pulling to the right. Get toggles down, everything is fine.

Go to pack it, and notice that the fabric where the toggles are stowed is completely ripped out, as well as the metal pin on the toggle is bent at > 90 degree angle.

They determined the packer stowed it above the guide ring. (yay I didn't pack it!)

...and what did YOU learn from that?

Ooh, ooh - I think I know this one....!

[mjosparky 3]

Think hard. Do rings mean anything?

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[monkycndo 0]

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Think hard. Do rings mean anything?

Sparky

Future alimony???

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[hillson 0]

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Think hard. Do rings mean anything?

Sparky

Outside of stow your own brakes (which I'm guessing was the point of some of the above)...with respect to the brake (setting? guide?) ring I'm guessing that:

1) setting below the ring ensures that brakes are set deep enough in relation to the rest of the lines.

2) the ring handles the opening shock load hence the ripped toggle keeper if the brakes were set above the ring

Am I out in left field?

[mjosparky 3]

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Think hard. Do rings mean anything?

Sparky

Outside of stow your own brakes (which I'm guessing was the point of some of the above)...with respect to the brake (setting? guide?) ring I'm guessing that:

1) setting below the ring ensures that brakes are set deep enough in relation to the rest of the lines.

2) the ring handles the opening shock load hence the ripped toggle keeper if the brakes were set above the ring

Am I out in left field?

If you stow the brakes with the cat’s eye above the ring it will blow on opening. The toggle stow keeper will usually be ripped off.
No big thing, you are not the only one that has done it.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[fasted3 0]

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The local rigging guru believes - and I concur - that I likely stowed the left toggle in the steering line locking loop ABOVE the guide ring and just under the elastic keeper.

I wonder if this is the only explination, or if the same thing could happen if the handle were to be tucked too agressively under the reserve but routed correctly through the ring. I know of at least one case where a rather inexperienced person packing was tucking the risers under the reserve rather than alongside, not realizing that the risers need to stay clear of the reserve to avoid rig damage. Tearing the reserve loose is one consequence, could the above toggle damage be another?
Mostly a question for riggers, but all opinions welcome.

But what do I know?

[sundevil777 93]

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I'm writing to briefly share my experience incorrectly stowing a toggle which resulted in a minor malfunction and damaged equipment.

I pulled around 4,500. The opening seem a little strange, based on my limited experience, and there were minor line twists which cleared quickly. The end cells were not totally inflated. The canopy also was in a gradual right turn. Once the line twists were clear, I went for the toggles but had trouble with the left one. It came free with some effort and I assumed the toggle was just unusually tight in the locking loop. I cleared the end cells, control checked, and flew in for a standard landing.

On the ground, I saw the elastic toggle keeper on the left rear riser was almost entirely gone. Only the fabric directly under the stitching remained. The local rigging guru believes - and I concur - that I likely stowed the left toggle in the steering line locking loop ABOVE the guide ring and just under the elastic keeper. On opening, without the guide ring to keep it in place, the steering line locking loop probably pulled straight up, off the toggle, and shredded the elastic right off the riser. This would also explain the right turn on opening. The line twists might have been from the brake or just my overall crummy pack job.

Anyways, I got the rig repaired and learned a few lessons. Namely: if I'm tired or unfocused when packing - and I was - call it a damn day and go home... which I did immediately after getting my rig back. It was a humbling wake-up call. Anyways, just wanted to share.

-Peace

I would not expect you to have a difficult time pulling on the left toggle if it wasn't stowed correctly as you describe (and it already was released during opening). If the R turn was due to the left side already being unstowed, then there should not have been any resistance to pulling it down, unless the toggle had been pulled partially through the ring. Perhaps the toggle shows some evidence of this.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[erdnarob 1]

Since the beginning of your story, when you mentioned about the toggle keeper ripped off, I knew it was the set up of the brakes above the guide ring. I have seen that. A good habit to follow is when you set up your brakes, take the riser in one hand and the steering line in the other and pull to test your set up. It is a problem of not understanding the fonction of the brake set up. If you know why and not only the how you are likely to avoid that kind of mistake.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[popsjumper 2]

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This same exact scenario happened to me yesterday.

When I pulled, I experienced a rather very hard opening, and the canopy was pulling to the right. Get toggles down, everything is fine.

Go to pack it, and notice that the fabric where the toggles are stowed is completely ripped out, as well as the metal pin on the toggle is bent at > 90 degree angle.

They determined the packer stowed it above the guide ring. (yay I didn't pack it!)

...and what did YOU learn from that?

Don't be a cheapskate when tipping packers?

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[mjosparky 3]

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This same exact scenario happened to me yesterday.

When I pulled, I experienced a rather very hard opening, and the canopy was pulling to the right. Get toggles down, everything is fine.

Go to pack it, and notice that the fabric where the toggles are stowed is completely ripped out, as well as the metal pin on the toggle is bent at > 90 degree angle.

They determined the packer stowed it above the guide ring. (yay I didn't pack it!)

...and what did YOU learn from that?

Don't be a cheapskate when tipping packers? Pack your own shit.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[sunkenstate 0]

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I would not expect you to have a difficult time pulling on the left toggle if it wasn't stowed correctly as you describe (and it already was released during opening). If the R turn was due to the left side already being unstowed, then there should not have been any resistance to pulling it down, unless the toggle had been pulled partially through the ring. Perhaps the toggle shows some evidence of this.

I thought the same thing.. It seems like it should - if anything - be easier to pull the toggle since the locking loop would have already left (and presumably taking the elastic keeper with it). Whatever the issue was, it took enough force to get it down that I though something would be damaged / torn. Full on left arm big-rig horn honking steeze.

The whole analysis could be wrong. Who knows. Anyways, I've integrated a steering line "tug test" into my packing now, and I'm pretty neurotic about the riser placement against the reserve.

[JohnMitchell 14]

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Anyways, I've integrated a steering line "tug test" into my packing now, and I'm pretty neurotic about the riser placement against the reserve.

I totally endorse the "tug test". I've never had a premature brake release, or as some call it, toggle fire. That's just from poor packing. The riser under the reserve thing? I'm not sure I get what they're talking about. My Infinity double riser covers seem to keep everything safe and in line. Not sure what I could do to screw that up.

Another great double check when packing: After putting your bag in the pack tray, grab the bridle and snatch the pilot chute towards yourself rapidly. It should inflate and look normal. It's a very quick, direct check to make sure your collapsing pilot chute has been properly cocked.

Learn from the mistakes of others. It's cheaper that way.

[fasted3 0]

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The riser under the reserve thing? I'm not sure I get what they're talking about.

My reserve is kind of like a pillow with a crevase underneath. I think the loose part of my handle was tucked into this crease enough to cause the above mentioned damage. I'm pretty sure it was through the ring properly, but if it is impossible that what I described can happen I'll just accept that it wasn't through the ring right.

But what do I know?

[mjosparky 3]

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That's just from poor packing.

John,

Spend a little time watching deployment video. I am convinced that many of the “brake fires” are the result of jumpers reaching up and grabbing the risers while the canopy is deploying. With the new Velcro-less toggles it doesn’t take much to pull them loose. You never saw this with the old Velcro toggles.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[JohnMitchell 14]

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I am convinced that many of the “brake fires” are the result of jumpers reaching up and grabbing the risers while the canopy is deploying. With the new Velcro-less toggles it doesn’t take much to pull them loose. You never saw this with the old Velcro toggles.

Interesting. I'll keep that in mind. I get on my risers during opening when the skies are crowded, but I've kept my fat mitts away from anything critical. I'll watch those videos a lot more closely.

You remember better than I do all those different brake systems over the years. There certainly were a lot of creative, sometimes complicated, ways of setting brakes, and somehow they all seemed to NOT work from time to time. The most fool proof thing I used to do was a daisy chain knot on plain steering line to set my brakes. No need for a finger trapped loop and you could vary your brake setting as you saw fit.

Thanks for the insight as to what might be going on.

[tbrown 26]

Another thing that might be worth considering is to have redundant checks as a part of your packing procedure, and sticking to it like it's some sort of weird religious rite, or as if your life depended on it :).

Redundant checks goes for the entire pack job, not just for the toggles part.