Grounding for safety issues - have you ever seen one and what was the reason?

[riggerrob 643]

First load of a boogie, a vidiot swooped, down-wind through the bowl. He got grounded for the rest of the boogie.

[porpoishead 8]

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I saw 3 out of a 4 way grounded for one month cypress fires/low opening on one jump. I was the 4th and I opened at 2500 (just sat in the saddle watched them continue in a sit campfire from 4500 down to whatever altitude they finally got to)

we had a DGIT keep doing stuff for a season and he was grounded for the next season

that's two

bill im not understanding the first grounding description.... no pull aad fires, understood there

but if you were in that 4 way and pulled at 2500 how did you watch them from in the saddle (2k-ish i'm guessing) from 4500 to AAD fire altitude......sounds kinda confusing the way its described

if you want a friend feed any animal
Perry Farrell

[erdnarob 1]

I have been grounded for a month at Perris Valley when I opened too low after doing a 40 way. I was on an outside loop of the formation with 4 girls which was quite challenging for a big guy like me. I did well by the way. However at the break off at 5500 feet, I followed my loop middle girl lead and started to separate at an angle. My jump suit has a lot of material at the arms and I was on the swoop cords but when tracking my "wings" were collapsed and I could not keep the level with the girls having them above me. It was also the first time I had to track for more than 20 seconds. I checked the girls above me at least three times when I heard my beeper continuous alarm at 1500 feet. I pulled right away. The problem is when my Sabre 2 deployed (taking 500 ft or so) I reached the AAD firing altitude and got a reserve deployment making my two chutes in a biplane configuration which I landed without any problem (I didn't undo the reserve brakes). Later DZ officials asked me what has happened and they asked me if I knew the consequences. I told them that I remembered my waiver I had signed up which specifies that in case of AAD firing I had to wait a month before jumping again at this DZ.

There is no excuse to pull too low but I wanted to explain the circumstances of that "adventure". I hope to return to Perris Valley as soon as possible. It is a well organized and friendly DZ.

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

[lowpull 0]

I am curious, and reading this thread has propmted me to ask a question I have had for quite some time, so I would appreciate some input.

Quite a few years ago, the dz I was working at had an incident that has bothered me to this day.

A Tandem I had a line over on a EZ384 that we had installed in our Racer Tandem systems, and responded correctly by initiating emergency procedures.
Unfortunately, instead of pulling the reserve handle in the proper direction,(he tried, unsucessfully, to pull the handle "out" at a 90 degree angle from his body, instead of down the direction of the cable housing,)and could not deploy the reserve.
No, we did not have the RSL on this system at the time.
He tried to pull the hanlde all the way to 1750' at which time the Cypres did its job.
I was the staff Tandem I/E at the time, and could not get this guy to see that he was the cause of the "hard" pull.

He pulled so hard that he deformed the cable at the handle.
I argued vehemetly that this warranted 30 days on the ground.For 2 reasons.
1)He did not perform the reserve deployment procedure correctly, which is 25% of my reason for grounding, and
2) He refused to even consider that he might have done something wrong. 75% reason.
The reserves were packed by one of the most competent,well trusted, and professional riggers in the business, whom I might add did everything he could to see if there was even the slightest chance he might have packed a hard pull, which when we tested the other 3 rigs in service that weekend, the hardest pull recorded (on video) was 17lbs.

Since the I in question was super tight with one of the dzo's I was told that in no way was his buddy getting grounded.

This has bothered me for better than 10 years, and I want some opinions.

I do not want to start a discussion about RSLs, or which system is better,so lets just hash out this situation please.


ralph

[mrbiceps 0]

My mate got grounded for a near collision on finals that i dont really think was his fault as the canopy in front made a last minute turn to avoid a slightly longer blade of grass. Anyway he had to pick up papers around the dz for a day. A few weeks later the CI had a tandem collision in clouds that put 2 customers in hospital. I asked him when he was going to start picking up papers. He wasn't happy i can tell u that, Man there were a few jumpers within ear shot that tried hard to surpress their laughter though. Whats good for the goose....

[rehmwa 2]

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bill im not understanding the first grounding description.... no pull aad fires, understood there

sorry - in a sit with 3 others. I tracked off at 4500 (watching them still sitting and not tracking despite my example, at which point I think I stopped my track and just watched in denial) - I dumped at my normal and sitting in saddle at 2000-2500 (typ) - still watching - they are still sitting.

at some point soon, they pop to track, but at about that point, 2 AADs fire, the 3rd guy had no AAD and he pulled main. All three landed within a few seconds of opening.

they were grounded - I could have made it to the DZ, but chose to land with them since the one guy had maybe a 2 second canopy ride and I wanted to make sure they were ok....

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants