Eloy Wrap

[kkeenan 13]

Since this is the forum for CRW discussions, I think it would be helpful to look at aspects of Ian's incident at the Nationals. This was a complex set of conditions that should be talked about so that folks may be better prepared if they run into something like this again.

Freefall jumpers have pretty much one EP checklist to accomplish for a malfunction:
1. Cutaway
2. Pull Reserve

CRW jumpers have many more procedures, requiring knowledge of gear, physics, etc. The more you know and prepare, the safer you will be.

Copied below is Chuck Brown's account of the jump:

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At approximately 4,000’, Ian received a dock from Alan Ressler. The dock didn’t appear to be particularly hard and was centered on. I’ve given and received harder and more angled docks without anything other than more excitement; however, in this case, the canopy hit low enough with just enough upward and sideward momentum, that Alan’s canopy wrapped completely around Ian with Alan’s lines entangled around Ian’s lower body. After a few seconds, the left side of Alan’s canopy inflated with the right side still wrapped around Ian. Alan & Ian spent approximately 1,500’ attempting to clear the wrap. During this time, Ian was in a 3 stack with the pilot and spring man, while holding onto Alan’s partially inflated (and wrapped) canopy.

At approximately 2,500’, Alan cutaway and cleanly deployed his reserve (at this point, I began chasing the freebag). Following Alan’s cutaway, the pilot dropped the spring man and Ian in order to follow Alan. At this time, Ian had a good canopy and was being held by the spring man (now pilot), with the pilot planning to fly Ian to a grassy area for landing. Almost immediately thereafter, Ian’s canopy was pulled from the pilot’s grip by the partially inflated, cutaway main. Once Ian’s canopy was pulled from the pilot, his canopy went into a downplane with Alan’s cutaway main. Unfortunately, Ian’s canopy didn’t stop in a traditional downplane attitude, but, rather continued to drive forward until it was beneath Ian. As a result, Ian fell into his own canopy; the video shows Ian’s canopy cocooned around him with Alan’s partially inflated main directly overhead.

Following the downplane and second wrap, Ian fell supported only by Alan’s partially inflated cutaway main. At some point prior to impact Ian deployed his reserve; however, the reserve fired into the cutaway main and never cleanly deployed. The reserve’s lines were found severely twisted around the lines of the cutaway main. Ian landed on his left side, and was treated by emergency personnel within minutes. Ian was medevaced to a Phoenix hospital where he was released on Friday.

Lessons learned? Don't wrap (yeah, right). I think Kevin Vetter summed it up by saying “more is better.” While nothing may have prevented Ian’s canopy from being pulled from the pilot’s grip and going into the downplane, having more canopies in the formation and slowing the formation down as much as possible may have helped hold onto Ian until he could sort out the cutaway main.

At approximately 4,000’, Ian received a dock from Alan Ressler. The dock didn’t appear to be particularly hard and was centered on. I’ve given and received harder and more angled docks without anything other than more excitement; however, in this case, the canopy hit low enough with just enough upward and sideward momentum, that Alan’s canopy wrapped completely around Ian with Alan’s lines entangled around Ian’s lower body. After a few seconds, the left side of Alan’s canopy inflated with the right side still wrapped around Ian. Alan & Ian spent approximately 1,500’ attempting to clear the wrap. During this time, Ian was in a 3 stack with the pilot and spring man, while holding onto Alan’s partially inflated (and wrapped) canopy.

At approximately 2,500’, Alan cutaway and cleanly deployed his reserve (at this point, I began chasing the freebag). Following Alan’s cutaway, the pilot dropped the spring man and Ian in order to follow Alan. At this time, Ian had a good canopy and was being held by the spring man (now pilot), with the pilot planning to fly Ian to a grassy area for landing. Almost immediately thereafter, Ian’s canopy was pulled from the pilot’s grip by the partially inflated, cutaway main. Once Ian’s canopy was pulled from the pilot, his canopy went into a downplane with Alan’s cutaway main. Unfortunately, Ian’s canopy didn’t stop in a traditional downplane attitude, but, rather continued to drive forward until it was beneath Ian. As a result, Ian fell into his own canopy; the video shows Ian’s canopy cocooned around him with Alan’s partially inflated main directly overhead.

Following the downplane and second wrap, Ian fell supported only by Alan’s partially inflated cutaway main. At some point prior to impact Ian deployed his reserve; however, the reserve fired into the cutaway main and never cleanly deployed. The reserve’s lines were found severely twisted around the lines of the cutaway main. Ian landed on his left side, and was treated by emergency personnel within minutes. Ian was medevaced to a Phoenix hospital where he was released on Friday.

Lessons learned? Don't wrap (yeah, right). I think Kevin Vetter summed it up by saying “more is better.” While nothing may have prevented Ian’s canopy from being pulled from the pilot’s grip and going into the downplane, having more canopies in the formation and slowing the formation down as much as possible may have helped hold onto Ian until he could sort out the cutaway main.

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Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[faulknerwn 37]

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Lessons learned? Don't wrap (yeah, right). I think Kevin Vetter summed it up by saying “more is better.” While nothing may have prevented Ian’s canopy from being pulled from the pilot’s grip and going into the downplane, having more canopies in the formation and slowing the formation down as much as possible may have helped hold onto Ian until he could sort out the cutaway main.

More is better I think up to a point - if you remember one of Chico's main-reserve entanglements from a few years back, he was wrapped at the bottom of the 4-stack. When the cutaway main inflated, it ripped him off the stack. At the time we guessed that just having 2 people hanging on may have made it more manageable (2 jumpers holding onto the guy with the problem..)

20/20 hindsight is always so easy in CRW!

[chuckbrown 0]

Chris Gay sent me an e-mail stating that his procedure to deal with this situation is to have the formation reduced to a 2 way (the pilot and the wrappee). His theory is that a 2 way will sink slower than a bigger formation, thus giving more time to deal with the situation. In addition, he feels that having fewer canopies in the formation produces less drag and lift, and can make it easier to get the bad canopy under control.

He also pointed to another technique for possibly preventing what happened to Sonny & Ian, although he was also careful to note out that this technique carried greater risks. Specifically, he stated that on several occassions he has taken a double wrap of the lines with his legs to keep a wrapped jumper secured until they could either get the canopy under control or it was time to land.

Obviously, you need to be sure you can get out of the double grip prior to landing.

[aykay 0]

Thanks for posting that.

Will the footage be released at any stage?

[stratman05 0]

vid just shows the wrap and one second of me spinning VERY fast...it's nothing like any of Chico's videos.

[kkeenan 13]

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Chris Gay sent me an e-mail stating that his procedure to deal with this situation is to have the formation reduced to a 2 way (the pilot and the wrappee).

... he stated that on several occassions he has taken a double wrap of the lines with his legs to keep a wrapped jumper secured until they could either get the canopy under control or it was time to land.

Chris is very knowledgable in this area, as I know of several that he has dealt with, and I respect his opinion. Extra prople in the stack really wouldn't help, and as he said, will actualy increase the rate of descent. The extra wraps in the bottom grip is a good idea because an inflated canopy, as we have seen, creates a tremendous amount of drag. If the bad canopy cannot be dropped or neutralized, then it's a judgement call as to what the upper pilot does. Staying with the lower jumper and riding it in may help that person have a survivable crash. Of course, the upper pilot will be participating in that crash - not a pleasant prospect, but something to think about.

People wonder why CRWDogs seem to be a closer-knit group than other jumpers. It's because our survival really is more dependant on each other than in other skydiving disciplines. I hope that newbie CRWDogs realize that knowing and understanding what to do in emergencies involves more than reading a few web pages. It involves understanding and being able to analyze the complex dynamics of unusual situations and taking proper actions.

Kevin K.

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Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[skydiverek 56]

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it's nothing like any of Chico's videos.

What was it and where do I find it?

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[chuckbrown 0]

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Chris is very knowledgable in this area, ... and I respect his opinion.

Chris is as good as they come, which is why it was important that his perspective be posted. I was very glad he took the time to give his thoughts on this incident, although I would have preferred to have learned something new from him in a different context.

[leapdog 0]

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People wonder why CRWDogs seem to be a closer-knit group than other jumpers. It's because our survival really is more dependant on each other than in other skydiving disciplines. I hope that newbie CRWDogs realize that knowing and understanding what to do in emergencies involves more than reading a few web pages. It involves understanding and being able to analyze the complex dynamics of unusual situations and taking proper actions.

Kevin K.

Right on!

Gunnery Sergeant of Marines
"I would like it if I were challenged mentally at my job and not feel like I'm mentally challenged." - Co-worker

[chuckbrown 0]

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it's nothing like any of Chico's videos.

What was it and where do I find it?

Chico has a copy of a video of his similar incident: wrap, inflated cutaway canopy pulling him out of the formation, dumping reserve into main, landing upside down in a bean field.

Maybe someone can get him to post it on skydivingmovies.com.

[crwslut 0]

Kevin:
More may be better, but MUST you repeat yourself?
Billy-Bob

What could possibly go wrong?

[remko 0]

Go jump with him :-)

--
Everything you know is wrong. But some of it is a useful first approximation.

[cutawaychico 0]

Hi To All you CReW Dawgs
Since my name seems to be coming up alot I thought I'd chime in.
I think that 2 people is the way to go. Having more than the wraped jumper and the person holding them puts a lot of tention on the formation. In my case when they could nolonger hold on to me it sent me right though my own lines again.
I watched Ian's wrap and I don't think there was much he could have done but get all the nylon out.
Stay Safe and Blue Skies
Chico