Reverse Riser Hang up - Aus fatality

[CornishChris 5]

I don't really understand why the reversed risers were an issue in the recent Australian fatality of Clare Barnes and am looking for some clarification

Apparently the container was not set up for rear risers but surely if this was a bag lock, as is inferred, then the risers would have cleared the container and the removal of the cutaway cord should allow their release. I can see why if they were hard against the reserve risers/container there would be little room for the 2nd and 3rd rings to pass but why would this be an issue at line stretch?

I can understand that if the risers had not been flexed then it would reduce the speed of removl but if anyone could clarify this for me it would be great.

CJP

Gods don't kill people. People with Gods kill people

[quade 4]

Not really sure if the risers were the biggest issue.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/19/1079199405301.html

Quote

Skydiving death report released

March 19, 2004 - 12:05PM

British skydiver Clare Barnes' parachute was incorrectly packed before she plunged 4,300 metres to her death in Victoria, an interim report into the accident found.

The 24-year-old daughter of Britain's Minister for Europe Denis MacShane and ITN newsreader Carol Barnes was killed when attempting her 200th jump with her boyfriend Chris McDougall and seven members of the Skydive City Club on Sunday at Barwon Heads, near Geelong.

The Australian Parachute Federation (APF) report found that the parachute's pilot chute, which drags the main parachute from its pack, had not been packed correctly and was unable to develop fully.

The use of non-standard equipment and poor gear maintenance also contributed to the incident, the APF found.

APF national safety and operations manager Graeme Windsor said Ms Barnes appeared to have packed her own parachute.

"We have no reason to believe she didn't pack it herself," Mr Windsor said.

He said the report found that the use of non-standard equipment, including rubber bands incompatible with other parts of the parachute kit, contributed to the accident.

"The main parachute release mechanism did not work when activated because the non-standard fitting prevented release under the low drag condition of the malfunctioned main parachute," the report stated.

He said Ms Barnes followed correct emergency procedures and was a licensed parachute packer.

"When Clare activated her main parachute release at the correct altitude, she experienced a high-speed malfunction," the report stated.

"Clare then followed correct emergency procedures by pulling the main parachute release system, followed by the reserve ripcord.

"Unfortunately, the main parachute did not release as it should have, and the reserve parachute became entangled with it, preventing either parachute from opening correctly."

The importance of sound parachute equipment maintenance will be given greater emphasis in APF education programs, the report stated.

A final report on the incident will wait on the findings of a coronial inquest.

Ms Barnes' funeral is expected to be held in an undisclosed location in Melbourne.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[riggerrob 643]

A recent visit to a British Parachute Association website revealed a photo of a bad case of line twists in a suspended harness. The Brits theorised that a bad case of line twists could press a reversed riser so tightly against a helmet that it would refuse to release.

[quade 4]

Maybe I wasn't fully clear in my explanation of my opinion.

Yes, if the risers didn't release that would be an obvious problem, however the first problem seems to have been the pilot chute, the second seems to have been the rubber bands and it's only when we get to the third problem that it becomes a situation where it appears as if she cutaway yet the risers didn't release properly.

So, yes, they actually were the biggest issue, poor choice of words on my part there . . . but they were certainly not the only issue.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Tonto 1]

Quote

I don't really understand why the reversed risers were an issue in the recent Australian fatality of Clare Barnes

Do we even know they were reversed (Integrity) risers? I've seen plenty of shoddily manufactured conventional 3 ring releases in my time..

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[ernokaikkonen 0]

Quote

Do we even know they were reversed (Integrity) risers?

Yes we do.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Check out this recent article from the British Mag site....
http://www.bpa.org.uk/skydive/pages/articles/dec03/cutting-away.html
For some interesting stuff on this.

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[daveom 0]

Quote

Check out this recent article from the British Mag site....
http://www.bpa.org.uk/skydive/pages/articles/dec03/cutting-away.html
For some interesting stuff on this.

The last paragraph of this link definitely gives food for thought for those of us with PdF rigs...
Can anyone out there suggest how this could affect the Parachute de France Atom? Although this rig is designed and supplied with reverse risers, how do the rings react when belly to earth?
I'll be trying this ASAP...
Dave

[Tonto 1]

Quote

Quote

Do we even know they were reversed (Integrity) risers?

Yes we do.

Well then.
t

It's the year of the Pig.

[TomAiello 26]

There's some fairly good discussion of this down in the Gear Compatibility thread, if you haven't had a look at it yet.

Check out spottydog's explanation near the bottom of that thread:

Quote

Atom Harnesses have the Main ring located higher up the main
lift web. Reverse risers are not a problem as this harness is
designed to be compatible.

If you fit these risers to another harness, like a Vector
or Javelin, it is highly likely the reverse risers will not
release if cutaway in a low drag malfunction, like a baglock,
where the body is still belly to earth. The angle between the main
webbing and the riser causes the reversed ring to press against
the harness, thus locking the 3 ring system. This can be easily
demonstrated on the ground. It's usually the middle ring that gets
jammed.

This is a problem that surfaced many years ago when some
people chose to fit Atom risers to their rigs because they liked
the idea of the velcroless brake set up.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[kaerock 1]

I'm not too clear on what the actual mal was, was it a pilot chute in tow or a bag lock? They mentioned the rubberbands, what role did they have to play in this?

-Rory

Quote

Not really sure if the risers were the biggest issue.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/19/1079199405301.html

Quote

Skydiving death report released

March 19, 2004 - 12:05PM

British skydiver Clare Barnes' parachute was incorrectly packed before she plunged 4,300 metres to her death in Victoria, an interim report into the accident found.

The 24-year-old daughter of Britain's Minister for Europe Denis MacShane and ITN newsreader Carol Barnes was killed when attempting her 200th jump with her boyfriend Chris McDougall and seven members of the Skydive City Club on Sunday at Barwon Heads, near Geelong.

The Australian Parachute Federation (APF) report found that the parachute's pilot chute, which drags the main parachute from its pack, had not been packed correctly and was unable to develop fully.

The use of non-standard equipment and poor gear maintenance also contributed to the incident, the APF found.

APF national safety and operations manager Graeme Windsor said Ms Barnes appeared to have packed her own parachute.

"We have no reason to believe she didn't pack it herself," Mr Windsor said.

He said the report found that the use of non-standard equipment, including rubber bands incompatible with other parts of the parachute kit, contributed to the accident.

"The main parachute release mechanism did not work when activated because the non-standard fitting prevented release under the low drag condition of the malfunctioned main parachute," the report stated.

He said Ms Barnes followed correct emergency procedures and was a licensed parachute packer.

"When Clare activated her main parachute release at the correct altitude, she experienced a high-speed malfunction," the report stated.

"Clare then followed correct emergency procedures by pulling the main parachute release system, followed by the reserve ripcord.

"Unfortunately, the main parachute did not release as it should have, and the reserve parachute became entangled with it, preventing either parachute from opening correctly."

The importance of sound parachute equipment maintenance will be given greater emphasis in APF education programs, the report stated.

A final report on the incident will wait on the findings of a coronial inquest.

Ms Barnes' funeral is expected to be held in an undisclosed location in Melbourne.

You be the king and I'll overthrow your government. --KRS-ONE

[mr2mk1g 10]

Its one of those three tier malfunctions... any one of the tiers not being there could have led to an ok outcome.

1. Uncocked pilot chute - appears to have lifted D-bag out of container but not much more. If it were cocked everything would have gone fine.

2. Tight locking stows / double banded stows (or something like that) means that the low drag of the pilot chute is insufficient to open the d-bag. If they had been looser then maybe the bag would have opened and the canopy would have deployed.

3. Reverse risers fitted to a container not intended to use them. This meant that when she cut away from the malfunction above her head (low drag so still in belly to earth position) the risers locked against her shoulders and prevented a complete cutaway. Any other risers or reverse risers on a rig designed to take them and she could probably have been able to clear the mess above her before deploying her reserve.

(probably)

[kaerock 1]

That's another situation where double-stowing lines might be bad: low-drag pilot chute -- pilot chute in tow.

I've not actually seen rigs with reverse risers, intuitively, it seems like a bad idea as it perhaps they are more likely to be pressed against something during a malfunction.

-Rory

Quote

Its one of those three tier malfunctions... any one of the tiers not being there could have led to an ok outcome.

1. Uncocked pilot chute - appears to have lifted D-bag out of container but not much more. If it were cocked everything would have gone fine.

2. Tight locking stows / double banded stows (or something like that) means that the low drag of the pilot chute is insufficient to open the d-bag. If they had been looser then maybe the bag would have opened and the canopy would have deployed.

3. Reverse risers fitted to a container not intended to use them. This meant that when she cut away from the malfunction above her head (low drag so still in belly to earth position) the risers locked against her shoulders and prevented a complete cutaway. Any other risers or reverse risers on a rig designed to take them and she could probably have been able to clear the mess above her before deploying her reserve.

(probably)

You be the king and I'll overthrow your government. --KRS-ONE

[Designer 0]

TY,for some time this has very much worried me.Reversed risers are a great Idea in theory,they could prove unreliable overall in the future.I,m gonna go ahead and replace mine just to be sure!

[CornishChris 5]

In this thread I was trying to underdstand the reverse riser side of the mal. I undertsand that the fatality was the result of a number of issues but one that is cited is the slow release/non release of her risers as they were reversed and this is what I was trying to get my head round. i will have a look at the other threads and BPS stuff as recommended.

Thanks for the input.

CJP

Gods don't kill people. People with Gods kill people

[masher 1]

We talked about this at the DZ this weekend.

The thought was that she cutaway and deployed her reserve without checking that her main had actually left. The fact that you have pulled your cutaway handle doesn't mean that your main has disappeared. The reverse risers (RRs) may have played a role in this, as Javelins aren't designed to have them. (the manaul says that too). As has been said, rigs that do have RRs have the attachment point higher up on the shoulder. If the attachment point is lower, then the risers could hold the rings against the MLW and prevent the risers from leaving if the jumper is still belly to earth.

This was a three tiered event. If any of them didn't happen, there would have been a death. Check everything on your rig. Read the manuals, replace your tubestows, elastic bands, closing loops, PCs....... Look after yourself. This sport is dangerous enough...

--
Arching is overrated - Marlies