Parachute malfunction

JCranford

JCranford

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JCranford
I had my 7th parachute malfunction yesterday on a tandem jump. I had a huge number of line twists (its exactly what it sounds like) and was unable to make any headway clearing the twists (with my passenger's help) before I reached my decision altitude. Cutaway, deploy the reserve and bingo, good to go. Luckily we found the main chute stuck in some trees south of the DZ and were able to recover it.

7 cutaways in almost 3500 jumps. Not a bad ratio.
 
Hmmm . . . Methinks your risk tolerance is exponentially higher than mine. I'm not ready to bail out, but if I ever do, the first chute malfunction would be my last . . .
 
That's the only reason I'm a little scared of sky diving: Eventually you'll get to 3,500 cutaways at that rate and you can't afford that ratio with your reserve.

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
 
Don't forget to tip your packer :D


Spaceland?
 
We watched my 90-year old granddad do a tandem jump yesterday. He'd previously jumped at age 87 and decided to do another at 90. Pretty cool experience, made me think about trying it some time.
 
JCranford said:
I had my 7th parachute malfunction yesterday on a tandem jump. I had a huge number of line twists (its exactly what it sounds like) and was unable to make any headway clearing the twists (with my passenger's help) before I reached my decision altitude. Cutaway, deploy the reserve and bingo, good to go. Luckily we found the main chute stuck in some trees south of the DZ and were able to recover it.

7 cutaways in almost 3500 jumps. Not a bad ratio.
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Ha! I've had that happen on my first tandem jump(as a passenger). Cutaway at 2200 with no warning. Though that was not my first jump. I had a full paratrooper type chute training and jumps before that. Still, an interesting moment.

Edit: That was my first and only tandem jump.. 3 solo before and 4 after
 
Skydiving scares me- not because something can go wrong with the main chute, but because the reserve can go Tango Uniform... in which case you have a short but exciting drop.
 
*makes note to remind John that during the flight to breakfast tomorrow, he is to stay INSIDE the airplane while in flight*
 
Hank S said:
Hmmm . . . Methinks your risk tolerance is exponentially higher than mine. I'm not ready to bail out, but if I ever do, the first chute malfunction would be my last . . .
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Hmmm... Methinks his balls are exponentially larger than mine.

I would have punched the guy that packed the chute right in the nose.
 
timrb said:
You're nuts! I have rifles I've fired that many times without a single failure. And my life doesn't depend on a rifle.

Tim
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At one short period in my life, my life did depend on my rifle. And it never failed, or I would not be writing this today.
 
ahkahn said:
Hmmm... Methinks his balls are exponentially larger than mine.



I would have punched the guy that packed the chute right in the nose.
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Skydivers typically pack their own mains. A certified rigger has to pack the reserve. The main failed. Guess the OP should punch himself? :)


Jim R
Collierville, TN

N7155H--1946 Piper J-3 Cub
N3368K--1946 Globe GC-1B Swift
N4WJ--1994 Van's RV-4
 
A jumper bounced at my airport last week. I reiterated my request to my daughter and son-in-law that they *don't* take up skydiving as a hobby.
 
JCranford said:
I had my 7th parachute malfunction yesterday on a tandem jump. I had a huge number of line twists (its exactly what it sounds like) and was unable to make any headway clearing the twists (with my passenger's help) before I reached my decision altitude. Cutaway, deploy the reserve and bingo, good to go. Luckily we found the main chute stuck in some trees south of the DZ and were able to recover it.

7 cutaways in almost 3500 jumps. Not a bad ratio.
Click to expand...

The only truly bad ratio is 2 malfunctions in 1 jump. :yikes:

I only made 96 jumps before hanging up skydiving. In those 96 jumps, I had 3 cutaways. Not so good. Cost me a bottle of booze for the rigger each time. Small price to pay. :yes:
 
James331 said:
Don't forget to tip your packer :D


Spaceland?
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SkyDive Dallas

The Rigger get a bottle not a beer. And I definitely always 'tip' my rigger.

I don't have to punch myself. The tandem rigs are packed by packers. And no, I didn't punch him. I didn't even punch the guy that packed the chute that broke my back 7 years ago. Its all part of the game.

Line twists can be caused by numerous factors: Freefall body position at opening, packing, old lines on the main. They not uncommon, but unrecoverable line twists are fairly uncommon, at least on docile chutes like tandem rigs.
 
I have around 250 jumps and only one chop. Premature deployment in a sit-fly due to a faulty (weak/loose) POC pouch. I have it on video somewhere, I actually caught the deployment back in my arm, flew away from the guy I was jumping with and tried to get it to open, but it was a full bag-lock after all that wind got ahold of the risers. So, chop and pop. Reserve worked as expected, landed on DZ. By the time I got back to the office someone had already gone and gotten my main for me.
 
Only four for me. A bunch of us went out for a day of training and then a static line jump. Amazing how the mind focuses when standing on a 2x4 outside an aircraft and hanging on to the strut getting blasted by the propwash. Did three more static line jumps a month or so later to prove it wasn't peer pressure. Got signed off for a dummy ripcord pull. Saw someone with a "streamer" that day. She cut away and deployed her reserve out of sight behind a hill and some trees. All OK, but after that I decided I had enough fun. Good to know if I ever get into aerobatics and have to leave a plane for real, but not something I'd want to do for sport.
 
Got a few jumps, military and civilian. Was an instructor/Examiner, rigger, and USPA Safety & Training Adviser. My $.02:

1) it's a bottle, not a beer. Riggers choice.

2) the actual rate of jumps to reserve deployments is about 750 to 1 in most years.

3) the number of fatalities is declining but is usually less than 30 per year total, reserve malfunctions run from 0 to 1 of that amount.

4) In most years loss of control on landings is the number one factor (sound familiar) If you land in a turn without properly flaring, it hurts.....

5) But seriously.... it is real fun when done right!!!!!!
 
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