Cutaway on first Static Line jump, Weight issues?

[ShadowPenguin 0]

I found this on another forum i frequent, i thought this would be good to post on here.

http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=189853&postcount=91

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Usually people make a list of all the things they want to do during their life before they die. On the top of my list was skydiving. I had secretly wanted to go skydiving since I knew what it was, but I needed someone to be that catalyst for me, to make me do it.

My first year of Univerisity I met a guy named Ash. Over many quiet conversations during our intro Lit class we decided to make the plunge. One autumn weekend we went to the skydiving academy in our area, and signed up. We went through training, paid our fees, were totally prepared to jump, but the cloud ceiling was too low that day, and we couldn't do it. So we were both given a voucher for a free jump at a later date, with a year expiration on it. Ash dropped out of school, and I lost contact with him, so it was just me as no one else wanted to skydive with me. That voucher sat on my bookshelf for nearly a year before I decide to do it, so I packed up my car with my two best buddies, and we drove the two hours to the skydiving academy.

We arrived in the morning, told we were going to jump around 1pm. We sat around and watched other skydivers load up in the little single engine plane, the plane go up in the air, and watched the same people jump out of that small plane. As soon as they left the plane POOF the chute opened, each and every time.

I decided to do a solo jump, I wouldn't get any free fall, but being the big guy that I am I thought that a tandum jump might be too difficult. Plus my goal list said skydiving, not skydiving strapped to another dude!! My name was called, I forced myself into this ugly purple jumpsuit which was too tight in too many places. I was given a parachute, straped in, and explained what would happen.

"Look", the impatient skydiving employee said, "You have a chest strap and a back strap, do they feel tight enough."

"Yeah."

"On your chest strap is a one way radio, so you can receive instructions from the ground. Do what the guy on the radio says, cool?"

"Yeah, cool." I was starting to get a bit nervous.

"Now your the biggest guy jumping, so your in the plane last, and out of the plane first. Once your up there, you have to jump, so if you have cold feet let me know now."

I just nodded.

"Good, get ready for the ride of your life big guy."

I got on the plane, decked out in my purple jump suit, my giant helmet, and my goggles. The plane took off, and my nerves started kicking in, my glasses were fogging up under my goggles. We reached 3000 feet, and the instructor opened the small door to the plane. The force of the wind was INSANE!! Now, if this was a simple get up and jump out situation, you would just need to build up the courage and do it. But with this jump you had to hang off the wing of the plane which is going super fast at 3000 feet. I pushed one leg out of the door and it was pulled back by the gusting wind. I used all my strength to bring my leg to the step on the plane. My hands clung to the support pole that ran from the wing of the plane to the body of the plane. Both feet now on the step, I had to reach out to where the support pole joins with the wing, and hang there to clear myself from the plane. I hung there for what felt like ages, barely able to hang on, my instructions yelled NOW!!! and I let go.

When I let go I could see the plane get so small, so fast. All I could do was scream "HOLY SHIT!!!" as I tumbled through the skies.

Now with the jump, you are suppose to arch your back and arms out, and count Arch 1000, Arch 2000, Arch 3000, Arch 4000, Arch 5000 then look up to check to make sure your parachute is open and enjoy the rest of the gentle ride.

I counted up to Arch 17000 before my chute did anything.

When my chute finally did open, due to some mismeasurements of my chest and back straps, they both flew up with the force of an opening parachute jarring my neck back with a direct chin shot. I was told weeks later that a force like that could have easily snapped my neck.

Now, this is where the problems really started.

I looked up, and my chute wasn't open and full of air. It was a ball of fabric and canvas. I was still plummeting to the earth at 9.8 meters per second. My one way radio was now about 10 feet above my head with my back strap and my flares. I couldn't turn, I couldn't slow down, I couldn't hear my instructor on the ground. I was told afterwards that my instructions was screaming into the radio "CUT THE CHUTE! CUT THE CHUTE!" but I didn't hear a single word.

Now, I should have cut the chute, I should have launched my backup chute, but I didn't really piece the situation I was in while it was going on. So with my hands on my harness, I started shaking the straps with all my might, hoping to untangle the mess above me. And was I ever successful.

Have you ever sat on a swing, and spun around until it wouldn't tighten up anymore. Then you kick your feet up, and you spin and spin and spin. I experienced the same thing at about 1000 feet. After spinning around 17 or 18 times I nearly fell out of my harness, as I didn't have a chest or back strap to support me. I was horizontal after the spinning, and if it wasn't for my mighty grip on the harness I could have dropped right out.

I righted myself, I looked up, and my parachute was completely open. A near perfect situation, as I still had no flares, so I couldn't turn left or right, or slow myself down as I landed.

And the landing, wow, that was an experience. Since I couldn't steer myself I was at the mercy of the wind. All I could do was hope I would land on grass, and not on any piece of the surrounding highway or runways. Well, I was a very lucky guy up until this point, and my luck was still with me, kinda.

I could see that I was going to land in a big grassy field. YES!! No pavement!! Then came the actual act of landing. Since I had no flares, there was no gentle stopping. I saw the ground coming up quickly, and I really thought that maybe, just maybe I could run it out. My left foot touched the ground, then a giant step to my right foot. And then a 30 foot face first baseball slide. Kind of like sliding from 3rd base all the way to home. I came to a stop, I was finally on the ground, I spit out the dirt in my mouth and I caught my breath. I wiggled my fingers, and I wiggled my toes, and everything seemed ok, nothing broken. I had lived through skydiving. I go to stand up, and my chute fills full of wind and starts pulling me across the field until someone from the skydiving school jumps on it to collapse it.

I stand up, and I am head to toe green from grass stains. I'm sore, but no worse for wear.

I didn't really piece it together until I was driving home. I almost died, a number of times on that single jump. My buddies said that all day they watched people jump out of that small plane, and their chutes immediately opened. When I jumped, they just saw me fall, and all they could think was what are we going to tell his mother.

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his profile says he's 370lbs....do all DZ's have a weight restriction? I know mine is 226lbs. Would that have attributed to how this played out?
Granted this is from a third party source, wouldnt know if he had embelished this instructors "impatience" or not. i'll try to contact him for more details if needed.

[mark 107]

This thread is on its way to the Bonfire.

While we wait for that, we can agree this story is a pleasant piece of fiction, written by someone who has only imagined he's made a jump. I leave it to other posters to point out the many amusing departures from reality.

Mark

[Tink1717 2]

Sonds like bullshit to me.

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717

[rasmack 0]

Quote

This thread is on its way to the Bonfire.

While we wait for that, we can agree this story is a pleasant piece of fiction, written by someone who has only imagined he's made a jump. I leave it to other posters to point out the many amusing departures from reality.

Mark

He knows where the radio goes. He knows the loading order. He does not, however, know the terminology of the harness ("back strap"?). I think you are expecting a bit much from a first time jumper.

OTOH this is probably better situated in Safety and Training.

HF #682, Team Dirty Sanchez #227
“I simply hate, detest, loathe, despise, and abhor redundancy.”
- Not quite Oscar Wilde...

[mr2mk1g 10]

I dunno man, I'd hope even a first timer would notice that they didn't have to do up a backstrap.

The guy clearly has some skydiving knowledge... he's either feeding off someone else though or is simply a retard.

[mnealtx 0]

Unless the harness had adjustable laterals or something similar?

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[PhreeZone 20]

370 huh? The largest canopy a typical DZ has is a 280 or a 300. There are a few DZ's out there that have big boy rigs set up for larger jumpers but they are fairly rare and at 370 thats a REALLY big boy rig needed. Actually that would have to be a military or tandem rig converted and only a few DZ's in the US have that on hand. I honestly can't imagine a DZ having a jumpsuit on hand to fit someone that was 300+. We took a tandem this weekend that was really large but not over 250 and did'nt even come close on jumpsuit sizing.

Static line would require a complete refresher course and at that time off a complete first jump course again.

Things are not adding up on that story at all. Sounds like some story telling got overboard and he did'nt know where to stop digging. If he did jump it sounds like line twists (common on SL jumps) that he did'nt do anything about then did'nt reach for his toggles to land.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Tonto 1]

I moved this thread from incidents because I don't beleive it warants being in the incidents thread. On a friendlier day, I may have moved it to Safety and Training, but then thought - who could learn from this?

A year off and then up to jump with no refresher?
A jumpsuit to fit a 370lb jumper?
Equipment to suit such a jumper?
A 370lb jumper landing without injury with no flare?
No cut away or reserve ride.

Before posting a thread in incidents, one is confronted with this..

The purpose of this forum is to report, discuss and learn from fatal and serious non-fatal incidents.

Was this a fatal or serious non fatal incident? No

Most, if not all, new threads here should start with the report of an actual incident.

Was this a report of an actual incident? I don't think so

General safety issues or small and potential incidents should be posted to the Safety and Training forum.

Was this advice followed? No

Incidents include: malfunctions, cutaways, wraps, collisions, crash landings etc. I trust everyone will use their good judgment before starting a thread or disposing of advice.

Was good judgement used here?

In case of a fatality please post your condolences to the Talkback (Bonfire) forum and keep this forum for discussion.

Which is where I've posted this.

C'mon. I'm having credibility issues here...

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[gmittar 0]

My roommate of a couple years once gave a speech about skydiving, based on what he knew from me. Everyone in class was convinced that he was an experienced jumper.

Not tough to pick up terminology, the little stuff gives it away. Flares? That's the one that stands out for me.

|>.<|
Seriously, W.T.F. mate?

[ShadowPenguin 0]

Quote

Before posting a thread in incidents, one is confronted with this..

The purpose of this forum is to report, discuss and learn from fatal and serious non-fatal incidents.

Was this a fatal or serious non fatal incident? No

Most, if not all, new threads here should start with the report of an actual incident.

Was this a report of an actual incident? I don't think so

General safety issues or small and potential incidents should be posted to the Safety and Training forum.

Was this advice followed? No

Incidents include: malfunctions, cutaways, wraps, collisions, crash landings etc. I trust everyone will use their good judgment before starting a thread or disposing of advice.

Was good judgement used here?

In case of a fatality please post your condolences to the Talkback (Bonfire) forum and keep this forum for discussion.

Which is where I've posted this.

C'mon. I'm having credibility issues here...

t

sorry man, from what I read of the rules i thought it warranted being in that forum but obviously i was wrong. Being a non fatal incident, as far as I was told by the indivual it was an actual incident, it seemed to fall under malfunctions, cutaways, or wraps, so naturaly that forum seemed appropriate and i used my best judgment.

still new so i dont know if there is or isnt suit/equipment for a 370lb jumper, (part of my question in the inital post) if the question is if he actually weights that much check his profile off the link i provided, there are pics.

just trying to learn.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

The description of the climbout could only be for a Cessna. A 370lb man cannot get out of a cessna. No chance.

[chuckbrown 0]

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Sounds like bullshit to me.

I'll second that. Even if he jumped at the Pecos Parachute School, he'd get more instruction than "put this on, this is what will happen."

P.S. Learn how to spell, Kevin.

Edited to add: In response to the question, weight probably wouldn't have had any effect on the opening at sub-terminal speed, but it would have had an effect on the landing. At 370 pounds he would have made quite a dent jumping a Manta 288 (pretty much the largest student-type canopy).

[Tink1717 2]

Hey, I'm at work. This place has a debilitating effect on my cognitive abilities.

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717

[BlindBrick 0]

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The description of the climbout could only be for a Cessna. A 370lb man cannot get out of a cessna. No chance.

I'm not commenting on the validity of the story, but 370 in the student slot is doable if the student is on the tall side say 6'2 or 6'3.

-Blind

"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

[Girlfalldown 0]

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Quote

The description of the climbout could only be for a Cessna. A 370lb man cannot get out of a cessna. No chance.

I'm not commenting on the validity of the story, but 370 in the student slot is doable if the student is on the tall side say 6'2 or 6'3.

-Blind

I'm also not commenting on the validity of the story. I just want to point out that a few posts down he says he was 310+ at the time of the skydive.

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

(Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take my posts seriously.)

[Orange1 0]

Hmmm. Apart from the issues already mentioned about weight and not having to do the FJC again... and terminology ("support pole" for strut?) if he reached "arch-17000" he would have been well below 1000'... he would have been about 3 seconds away from the ground, in which to do his "17 or 18" spins before the canopy opened ...and it sounds like he was trying to describe kicking out of line twists as something that could inflate a "ball of washing" canopy??

.. if he could see the plane get so small so fast, he must have been both looking up and stable - which would imply a decent arch rather than tumbling through the sky...

and as a static line baby, all i can say it must have been one helluva long static line to only pull the pc out after 2500' foot or so

the story is a load of crap.

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[ShadowPenguin 0]

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the story is a load of crap.

another reason i like getting this feedback, being able to discern loads of crap from the real thing while i'm learning.

[Johnnyskydive 0]

The Dz I used to jump at, learned to jump at, had a couple of "big boy" rigs....and the biggest canopy he had was a PD 360...and that was a tandem canopy put in a huge Telisis rig....the heavest student he would put in that rig was 275-300....300 I only saw him do once....And the guy was pretty damn tall and not all that "fat" he was a big guy...but not a butter ball. I cannot imagine a 370 lb person being able to jump any rig out there....unless, in fact, it was a tandem rig!

Johnny Skydive!

[jumprunner 0]

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A 370lb jumper landing without injury with no flare?

This is what gets me, a guy weighing a whopping 370 lbs, who didnt flare at all and lived through it. Ive heard of people getting killed from not doing that. Also take into account, was he landing with or agaisnt the wind? He didnt even have any broken bones after that kind of landing (its a miracle!).

His chest strap was yanked upward but his canopy was still "in a ball"...not enough to cause that kind of force?

Did he 'land' still holding on to his straps, and hanging off them?

Exactly what DZ would allow someone who is 370 to jump? I think the usual weight restriction is something like 220 or so.

"he reached "arch-17000"......WOW! I distinctly remember they tell you to cut it at "arch-7000"...I think at 17 he would have been pretty close to hitting enough oil to solve the next energy crisis.

I never heard of anyone saying that going through wild spins opens a malfunctioning canopy. So he went through 17 or 18 tight spins.....and he wasnt knocked out by the centrifugal force?

[jumprunner 0]

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The description of the climbout could only be for a Cessna. A 370lb man cannot get out of a cessna. No chance.

A 370 lb can barely get up out of a chair, much less a Cessna. The climb to altitude must have taken forever with him in it.

[BlindBrick 0]

Quote

Quote

The description of the climbout could only be for a Cessna. A 370lb man cannot get out of a cessna. No chance.

A 370 lb can barely get up out of a chair, much less a Cessna.

310(which was the weight during his supposed jump) out of a Cessna is very believable. The lowest TSO max on my gear is 317 lbs, and let's just say there used to be times when I prayed that no FAA guy/gal ever showed up with a scale.

-Blind

"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

[Tonto 1]

Hey.

Welcome to the forums. The only one of us here who has made no mistakes are the ones who have posted nothing!

Generally, experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. That's true for just about everything. Thanks for the post. It took me about 3 seconds to move, and I think we're all having a lot of fun with it now.

Blue Skies,

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[Beep 0]

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My roommate of a couple years once gave a speech about skydiving, based on what he knew from me. Everyone in class was convinced that he was an experienced jumper.

Not tough to pick up terminology, the little stuff gives it away. Flares? That's the one that stands out for me.

Yeah the "flares" kinda through me off....i was waiting for him to light one of those sucker up when he got to ARCH 18000

[Smokis 0]

hmmmmmmmmmmmm

You know, when I tell a dramatic story like that, it always seems to get a little more thrilling each time I tell it. Arch17,000?, maybe it was more like Arch10,000, but the excitement of the story carries more dramatic affect when someone stretches the truth a little. Especially when the intended listening group knows nothing about skydiving and that Arch17,000 is in reality arch3,000 away from death, but they will never know.

Impatient employee, I haven't been around many DZ's, but it sounds like this story takes place on a saturday or sunday, which means in all likely hood, Mr. Impatient employee is probably more like Mr. Hungover. On my first tandem, my camera guy, my wife's tandem master and my wife's camera guy were all up at 3a.m. drinking by the fire the night before. Fortunately we are both still here.

Flares? I'm still new, why does this throw you all off?

17 spins causing injury??? Have you ever done the spinning swing thing on the playground? I have, I'm sure I did at least 17 spins on a really big swing. I'm still here to tell my story and I don't recall any significant G forces on my body. I don't think doing it at 1500 feet in the air will add any extra g forces. And again, perhaps it was more like 10 spins or even less. But 4 or 5 spins is no where near as exciting as 17 spins.

I do believe this guy at least expierenced an abnormal jump and in his retelling the story he may have stretched the truth a little. But lets not just write someone off for committing the same evil sins we all have.

[Johnnyskydive 0]

No, sounds like this guy either took the class and chickened out....or knows someone who took the class.
I did static line.....if you made it even to arch 10.....youd be around 2000 feet or less from 3000.....he then states his cute now comes out into a big ball of mess (again this is at 10...not 17) which he pumps on his straps?? while his flares??? are ten feet above him....ten feet huh?!

Flares....what the hell are flares....toggels right?! anyway....this is the point that after pumping on the straps the cute seems to be in a line twist??? kicks out of it.......after 17 or so spins.....???? all of this from 2000 ft or less?! and then a big dud landing with no flare? yeah i dont think he'd have gotten up and walked away so eaisly.

Like I said....he obviously knows a little about a first jump....either his friend told him about his jump and he spun this story off....or he took the FJC and chickened out and made this story up as to why he wont go again....I personally think it's the first scenario....because even with a FJC i think you'd know more than this guy!!!!

Johnny Skydive!