Had My First Cutaway Yesterday

[skycamefalling 0]

So yesterday during a canopy control course I was attending, I had my first cutaway. Here is what happend:

-Second jump of the day. Was doing a H&P from 3k out of a twin otter. Exited stable and had approximately a 3-4 sec delay. Right as I pulled, I immediately knew something felt wrong. I see my canopy come over my head and see nothing but line twist and my canopy struggling to open. So as I reach up for my risers to get ready and kick out of the line twist, my canopy fully opens, I get flipped over on to my back and start spinning to the left. As soon as I went to my back, I knew it had to go. IIRC, I chopped at 2200ft and was under reserve at about 1800ft. I had an uneventful reserve landing in to a huge puddle of water in the landing area.

So, all of my training was, 2 hands cutaway, look at reserve handle, pull cutaway, 2 hands on reserve, pull reserve handle. Whenever I go over EP's on the ground and on the plane, thats exactly what I do and have been doing that since day one. When it was time to cutaway, I automatically went to one hand on each handle and initiated my EP's. I had both handles in my hands while the reserve was still in deployment but accidentally dropped my cutaway handle. It felt like both handles came out smooth as butter.

This was jump #80 for me. I found my main and my freebag, but no handle. My rig is equipped with an RSL and I was jumping a Sabre2 210.

I did no more jumps for the day (did not want to pay for a rental) and just hung out at the DZ for the rest of the day. My beer dues were paid, but still owe my rigger for the save.

Just wanted to share with you all.

Speedracer~I predict that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead.
And that a giant radioactive duck will emerge from the ocean and eat Baltimore.

[phoenixlpr 0]

Welcome to the club!

[theonlyski 8]

So... does that count for the canopy control if you couldn't control it and had to chop it?


Just kidding, good job man!

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[Coreefdiver 0]

Good job!

I practice my EP before every jump :)

DS#727, DB Cooper #41, POPS #11065, SCR #13183, FA #2125, SCS #8306, HALO #309 SRA #5930

[PiLFy 3]

"...all of my training was, 2 hands cutaway, look at reserve handle, pull cutaway, 2 hands on reserve, pull reserve handle. Whenever I go over EP's on the ground and on the plane, thats exactly what I do and have been doing that since day one."

"When it was time to cutaway, I automatically went to one hand on each handle and initiated my EP's."

Vahry interesting... Have you any explanation as to why you changed @showtime?

[firemedic 7]

So, all of my training was, 2 hands cutaway, look at reserve handle, pull cutaway, 2 hands on reserve, pull reserve handle. Whenever I go over EP's on the ground and on the plane, thats exactly what I do and have been doing that since day one. When it was time to cutaway, I automatically went to one hand on each handle and initiated my EP's. I had both handles in my hands while the reserve was still in deployment but accidentally dropped my cutaway handle. It felt like both handles came out smooth as butter.

If you had waited longer and built up a faster spin it may have made the cutaway a little more difficult.
There was a saying back when I started in the sport. "He who hesitates shall inherit the earth"
Nice job identifying the problem quickly and dealing with.

[skycamefalling 0]

Quote

"...all of my training was, 2 hands cutaway, look at reserve handle, pull cutaway, 2 hands on reserve, pull reserve handle. Whenever I go over EP's on the ground and on the plane, thats exactly what I do and have been doing that since day one."

"When it was time to cutaway, I automatically went to one hand on each handle and initiated my EP's."

Vahry interesting... Have you any explanation as to why you changed @showtime?

The best way to answer your question is no, I dont really have an explanation. Each hand just went to a handle automatically and I pulled. I have been trying to figure out why I chose to go one hand per handle instead of 2 hands per handle since it happend.

I have always been able to think of how I might react in an emergency situation. But now that I have been in one, it has really helped build up my confidence for if and when another situation may pop up. It definately was a learning experience.

Speedracer~I predict that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead.
And that a giant radioactive duck will emerge from the ocean and eat Baltimore.

[PiLFy 3]

I'm glad you're taking the positive from the experience. It's curious that you drilled for how many times one way. Then, automatically did something different when it was for real. That's not how muscle memory & training usually work for people. Whatever works for you.

Let's see:
**$70 for a repack.
**About $60 for a case & a bottle.
**$50 for a dropped handle.
**Not dying? Priceless.

[popsjumper 2]

Congrats!

Great confidence builder, eh?

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

[skycamefalling 0]

Yes it most definately was

Speedracer~I predict that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead.
And that a giant radioactive duck will emerge from the ocean and eat Baltimore.

[jacketsdb23 49]

Quote

"...all of my training was, 2 hands cutaway, look at reserve handle, pull cutaway, 2 hands on reserve, pull reserve handle. Whenever I go over EP's on the ground and on the plane, thats exactly what I do and have been doing that since day one."

"When it was time to cutaway, I automatically went to one hand on each handle and initiated my EP's."

Vahry interesting... Have you any explanation as to why you changed @showtime?

Funny - I had the very same experience. Practiced one way - on jump 300ish - had a spinner that I chopped with one hand on each handle. Had never practiced it that way. I can't explain it. But now I practice it that way. Maybe its a comfort thing?

Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen
God is Good
Beer is Great
Swoopers are crazy.

[SRI85 0]

Quote

-Second jump of the day. Was doing a H&P from 3k out of a twin otter. Exited stable and had approximately a 3-4 sec delay. Right as I pulled, I immediately knew something felt wrong. I see my canopy come over my head and see nothing but line twist and my canopy struggling to open. So as I reach up for my risers to get ready and kick out of the line twist, my canopy fully opens, I get flipped over on to my back and start spinning to the left. As soon as I went to my back.

i had a similar incident doing a hop n pop from 3k. line twist on opening and got thrown on my back, my immediate reaction was to grab the cutaway, but before i was gonna chop it, i looked and realized it was just line twists, so i didnt chop it and easily kicked my way out of it.

[theplummeter 15]

Quote

Quote

"...all of my training was, 2 hands cutaway, look at reserve handle, pull cutaway, 2 hands on reserve, pull reserve handle. Whenever I go over EP's on the ground and on the plane, thats exactly what I do and have been doing that since day one."

"When it was time to cutaway, I automatically went to one hand on each handle and initiated my EP's."

Vahry interesting... Have you any explanation as to why you changed @showtime?

Funny - I had the very same experience. Practiced one way - on jump 300ish - had a spinner that I chopped with one hand on each handle. Had never practiced it that way. I can't explain it. But now I practice it that way. Maybe its a comfort thing?

I'll third that. Trained to look at cutaway, locate reserve handle, pull cutaway (two hands), pull reserve (two hands), and arch. My first cutaway found me with one hand on each handle and thinking right hand first.

[skycamefalling 0]

Quote

Quote

Quote

"...all of my training was, 2 hands cutaway, look at reserve handle, pull cutaway, 2 hands on reserve, pull reserve handle. Whenever I go over EP's on the ground and on the plane, thats exactly what I do and have been doing that since day one."

"When it was time to cutaway, I automatically went to one hand on each handle and initiated my EP's."

Vahry interesting... Have you any explanation as to why you changed @showtime?

Funny - I had the very same experience. Practiced one way - on jump 300ish - had a spinner that I chopped with one hand on each handle. Had never practiced it that way. I can't explain it. But now I practice it that way. Maybe its a comfort thing?

I'll third that. Trained to look at cutaway, locate reserve handle, pull cutaway (two hands), pull reserve (two hands), and arch. My first cutaway found me with one hand on each handle and thinking right hand first.

So I wonder why, despite all of the training and practice of EP's, we chose to go one hand per handle?

Speedracer~I predict that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead.
And that a giant radioactive duck will emerge from the ocean and eat Baltimore.

[PiLFy 3]

"So I wonder why, despite all of the training and practice of EP's, we chose to go one hand per handle?"

My guess would be because one way simply seems more natural to some people. Personally, if the D-ring tends to shift during a cutaway? Why not grab the thing, & eliminate that risk? That way does seem more logical to me. Although I too was trained to use the two-handed method. Is it that hard to pull the handles under load? Will the harness shifting after a chop, cause the gripped D-ring to pop the reserve too soon? Is the two hands per handle method taught in order to prevent confusion (pulling the reserve first)?

[pchapman 279]

Quote

So I wonder why, despite all of the training and practice of EP's, we chose to go one hand per handle?

When someone checks their handles on the ground or boarding the airplane or on jump run or before exit, what do they do?

One hand per handle, right?

Not everyone will do it that way, but I'm guessing a lot do, even if their cutaway training in two hands on one handle, then two on the other.

Handles checks get done way more than actual emergency procedures practices, and win out in muscle memory.

Perhaps that's one reasonable explanation?

[FB1609 0]

That actually makes sense to me.

[PiLFy 3]

I was taught to check my handles the same as my EPs (two hands per handle). I expect I'm not alone in that.

[danielcroft 2]

I had the same experience. Jump 12, spinning line twists, I don't even remember if I was aware of the "one hand per handle" method but that's what I did. Stand up on my reserve.
When I talked to my instructor afterwards, she said that actually saying what you're doing is helpful.

I still practice two hands each handle and I wonder what I'll do when the time comes again.

Congratulations btw, some people live in fear of their first cutaway, at least you won't have that worry anymore.

[skycamefalling 0]

Thanks. I never really lived in fear of my first cutaway. I always wondered though, if and when it would happen. The one thing I did kinda fear was having a cutaway on a H&P. Turns out, thats exactly when it ended up happening. What are the odds

Speedracer~I predict that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead.
And that a giant radioactive duck will emerge from the ocean and eat Baltimore.

[devildog 0]

Quote

What are the odds

For you? 1:80

You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

[jwynne 0]

I had an interesting reserve deployment that was different from anything I ever practiced. On a total, I couldn't find my hackey. It was burried in a leg pouch. I tried for it 3 times and then with no thought, deployed my reserve with my right hand. I was under my reserve thinking "Wow, that's my reserve" before I thought about the action. My guess is my right hand was in action, 3 tries and go for the reserve. It worked.

[Andy9o8 2]

Quote

The one thing I did kinda fear was having a cutaway on a H&P.

Why?

[skycamefalling 0]

Quote

Quote

The one thing I did kinda fear was having a cutaway on a H&P.

Why?

Just the thought of being below 3k and my hard deck being 2k. One of those things I would always think about. But now that it happend and knowing how quick I was able to react, I feel like I was worried for nothing. Now I am just mad I dropped my handle

Speedracer~I predict that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead.
And that a giant radioactive duck will emerge from the ocean and eat Baltimore.

[Andy9o8 2]

Quote

Quote

Quote

The one thing I did kinda fear was having a cutaway on a H&P.

Why?

Just the thought of being below 3k and my hard deck being 2k. One of those things I would always think about. But now that it happend and knowing how quick I was able to react, I feel like I was worried for nothing. Now I am just mad I dropped my handle

OK, this is important for all newer jumpers to keep in mind, especially those trained on AFF: A hop & pop at 3k is not the same as a terminal-velocity deployment at 3k, because your vertical-toward-Earth velocity is so much less on a hop & pop. But, you still have the benefit of the relative wind on a hop & pop to inflate your deploying canopy. So, if you're comfortable deploying at terminal at around 3k-3500, you should be equally comfortable deploying on a hop & pop in the 2500-3k range.