Does stupidity burn brain cells?

[diver123 0]

Okay everyone I'm going to admit something here that I'm not proud of, but hopefully it will help to reenforce the idea that complacency can kill!
About a week and a half ago I was out at the DZ enjoying a Saturday afternoon with the birds. I'd been hanging out all day chatting and trying to forget about the work and bills that awaited me on Monday morning... Sunset was coming so I decided to get one last jump in before the hour and a half drive home (this would be the fifth for the day)... Just before putting my rig on I decided to lose my long sleeve shirt and just go with the t-shirt to stay cool on the ride up. Instead of tucking it in all nice and neat I decided to leave it out and just tuck it down into my leg straps. On the ride up I hooked up with this other guy to do some sit and mess around a little, it's always more fun when there is someone else out there with you on a sunset! Anyway, the jump was cool and we said our goodbyes and parted at 5. I rolled over to put on the brakes and check the air. All clear (I love it when it's all clear...). Reached back to dump...What the f__k?! I must be imagining something, let's try that again...Holy s__t?!!! Just burned through 3 and a half and I'm not slowing down at all! As I was grabbing for the hacky (I'm pretty sure I had one when I got into the plane) all I feel is a little bit of cotton and the bottom of my container! No time left to conduct any deductive reasoning so I grab a hold of ol' silver and ripped that thing out of the pocket so hard that I almost popped myself in the mouth. Now instead of having a little fun under canopy to wrap up the day, I'm chasing down my mess and trying to piece together what the hell hapened. I've jumped like this a good thirty times and have never had a problem before... So I land in a dusty dirt field and put my canopy in the dirt. I reached back again to see what had happened and found my (un-tucked shirt...retard) almost knotted around my hackey??? I guess the wind wrapped the excess material around my handled so tight that it stuck... After I realized what had happened I felt this incredible urge come over me to paint a big bullseye on my chest and go stand out in the middle of the freeway for a few minutes cause that's what I deserved! This sport is all about risk management. You have no one but yourself to blame when you take unnecessary risks and although I lucked out this time (what if I had a reserve malfunction??? For a shirt??? Come on...) and everything worked out well enough that I walked away. You can bet your ass that you wont ever catch me looking like a walking stack of dirty laundry ever again. Please take a minute to seriously stop and think about some of the things that you may or may not be doing that could add an extra risk to an already dangerous sport...It may just save your life.
"pull high! It's lower than you think..."

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I have freeflew/sat in shorts and a t-shirt before, too. Generally, I tuck my shirt into my pants/shorts when doing so, but one time I didn't do it and was going to just let it flop. I looked across from me on the Otter and saw T.J. Landgren with little rubber bands holding his t-shirt in place. I asked him about it and he said it was to prevent exactly what happened to you. "Hmm, I had better tuck my shit in then."
Yep, you got it bad on that one. Lucky for you, you had sense enough to pull your damn reserve ripcord. Definitely a lesson learned, eh? Placing your experience here will allow others to learn from your mistake and hopefully prevent the same thing from happening to them.
Chuck

[Pammi 0]

All I can say is 'wow'. Thanks for the heads-up! I'm so glad it turned out okay for you!!! I think we all need reminders of how even the little things can be a BIG problem if we don't take it seriously or slack off any. I have a question...you said you 'grabbed the silver' then 'chased down your mess'....so you cut away first I assume? Just curious for my own future info purposes.
Pammi
Some new pics.

[DZBone 0]

Glad to have you back, man. Your posting will save lives.
Carl

[SpeedRacer 1]

Hey Pammi:
Usually with a total mal (nothing out, not even a pilot chute) you go straight for the silver & don't waste time cutting away, since there's nothing to cut away. That's according to the SIM.
Speed Racer
"De plaene!! De plaene!!"

[GeekStreak 0]

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I'm chasing down my mess...

I'm confused. What were you chasing?
1111,
GeekStreak

[DZBone 0]

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What were you chasing?

I'm guessing he didn't want some farmer getting his freebag and pilot chute.

[Pammi 0]

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Usually with a total mal (nothing out, not even a pilot chute) you go straight for the silver & don't waste time cutting away, since there's nothing to cut away. That's according to the SIM.

Yeah...however, I was taught and firmly believe (for myself) in the 'three-handle' rule. You waste time more by trying to figure out what kind of mal you have and whether you should cut away or not rather then just automatically cut and pull the reserve regardless. Three handles - pilot chute (hackey/handle/whatever), cutaway, reserve.
Pammi
Some new pics.

[SpeedRacer 1]

OK, I'll try this one in the Safety and Training Forum & get it straight.
Speed Racer
"De plaene!! De plaene!!"

[diver123 0]

Well, there are these things called the "pilot chute" and "free-bag" that assist in the deployment of...just kidding. I'd hate to have to buy new equipment if I didn't have to ya know. Sorry to confuse you all. I just re-read the post and it does kinda sound like I was implying a malfunctioned canopy I guess.
"pull high! It's lower than you think..."

[diver123 0]

Pammi, I just read over this last reply you had and it concerns me a little. If you get a total mal, as was the case in this story, and then "cut-away" you'd then have to deal with the potential of a newly release riser possibly getting in the mix right? I know it's a long shot, but then again, so is a shirt tail wrapping itself so tightly around a hacky handle that a guy (who can bench well over 300lbs) couldn't get it out of it's pouch...? Just a thought. If I'm off here, someone help me. Also, I do think it's important that you can attain a level of clarity in your thought process that would allow you the ability to diagnose and then "treat" the problem accordingly and not just go in to robot mode and hope for the best. I know I'm opening up the door here for contraversy, but that's the way I feel.
"pull high! It's lower than you think..."

[msdeva 0]

As a student you're taught to do pull both cut away and reserve regardless of the type of malfunction. This is because you're already in mental overload trying to remember all the other things that you need to do - this allows one less thing to remember.
However, once you're off student status (or have your A at least) you can make these decisions for yourself. If you know that nothing is deployed from your main, then there is no need to cutaway... similar to emergency aircraft exit procedures. I don't know what problems could be introduced by pulling the cutaway handle with nothing to cut away tho... I wouldn't think they would teach students this if it was dangerous.

[JeffGordon 0]

I agree with diver123. You have to adjust to meet the situation. There was a nonfatal incident report in Parachutist magazine where a skydiver could have died because she could not get to her reserve handle. She survived because she reacted to the emergency and not automatically.

[Michele 1]

Thank you, Diver123. Something new learned!
Ciel bleu-
Michele

[skyhawk 2]

i always watch this because of warnings for others. I dont like any jumpsuits so always jump in free clothes

[mouth 0]

Situation: you are sitting in the plane on the way up. Everyone is happy to finally be free of the constraints of the Earth if for just a few moments. You pass through 1800 feet and life is good. The plane begins to sputter, rocking wildly. The pilot yells, "GET OUT!" What would you pull and why?

[mouth 0]

Now my answer. I would go for silver because my reserve is packed to open in a short time span, on heading and smoothly. I would not take the extra time to deploy or cut away my main and risk a Spectre snivel. If I am wrong someone please correct me.
Now what if that shirt had gotten wrapped around your reserve handle in your haste to exit the aircraft and you couldn't pull it? If you jump in a shirt and shorts you run the risk of it getting tangled in any of your handles and then where would you be? I know lots of experienced jumpers who do grab their rig and run for the plane without a jumpsuit; however, I personally want to make sure I can get to every handle without a shirt or anything else getting in the way. I have even gone so far as to put velcro inside my freefly pants and on the shirt I wear with them to keep my shirt where it belongs.

[GeekStreak 0]

Pull silver.
1111,
GeekStreak

[Pammi 0]

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There was a nonfatal incident report in Parachutist magazine where a skydiver could have died because she could not get to her reserve handle. She survived because she reacted to the emergency and not automatically.

What was the exact situation? And this is really a whole different scenerio, not being able to get to your reserve. What I'm voicing my opinion on is whether to cut away or not.
I, personally (I AM a newbie, so I appreciate these discussions and hearing things I probably haven't thought of) can't think of a reason that cutting away would cause an extra problem. I'm definately not trying to imply a thoughtless process, just the quickest one. Honestly, it's a little insulting to assume that because this is (unless I hear a good argument otherwise) my choice in handling the situation, that I haven't thought about it. I think about 'what would I do' a great deal before I even get in the air, not just while I'm there.
Here is my exact thought process behind this one...
If there is no harm in cutting away first, why not do that automatically as students are taught? There is a greater possibility of making a mistake and not cutting away first when you should've, it would seem, then an incident from cutting away when you should NOT have. Right? As an example...say in the situation of Diver's...he pulls the reserve and somehow the shirt gets loose and the pilot chute is partially pulled out because of the previous struggles with it, then it DOES come out during the deployment of the reserve, or perhaps just after. I'm just throwing stuff out here, keep in mind, because perhaps this isn't possible at all. But for the sake of argument, this happens...wouldn't it be better if you'd cutaway already so when it deploys it will just fall downward rather then deploy possibly into your reserve, or at least cause two out?
I'm sure there are other circumstances in which cutaway is not possible or smart...such as getting a line caught in your camera helmet. I'm not saying that there aren't other times when I would not cutaway, but as a general rule, yes, I would.

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Situation: you are sitting in the plane on the way up. Everyone is happy to finally be free of the constraints of the Earth if for just a few moments. You pass through 1800 feet and life is good. The plane begins to sputter, rocking wildly. The pilot yells, "GET OUT!" What would you pull and why?

At 1800, I'd pull my main, PROVIDING that I was by the door, could get out immediately therefore wasn't going downward causing me to be actually lower then 1800 when I got out. That's pretty close for me...I've always thought 1500 and under I'd go for the reserve.
Pammi
(Gosh I hope all this came out where it makes sense :) Sometimes my mind works faster then my hands can - especially after only one cup of coffee so far Some new pics.

[GeekStreak 0]

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I personally want to make sure I can get to every handle without a shirt or anything else getting in the way.

Ditto that. On my first jump our S & TA assisted with my gear check. She grabbed all of the excess material on the one-size-fits-all student jumpsuit, pulled it to the back and tucked it under the container. I asked what she was doing (couldn't see behind myself) and she asked me, "You want to be able to pull those handles if you need to, right?". On my second jump I did it myself. Sounds like it should be a regular part of my pre-flight routine.
1111,
GeekStreak

[mattb 0]

good reminder - i made a similar mistake with a baggy long sleeve t-shirt not being tucked in on one of my first jumps off student status. luckily i found the hackey but it could have turned out worse

[FallnAngel 0]

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Situation: you are sitting in the plane on the way up. Everyone is happy to finally be free of the constraints of the Earth if for just a few moments. You pass through 1800 feet and life is good. The plane begins to sputter, rocking wildly. The pilot yells, "GET OUT!" What would you pull and why?

I would go straight for my reserve. My hard deck is 2000'. If I'm below it, or close to it, then to me that automatically dictates the use of my reserve.
Blues,
Karen

[SpeedRacer 1]

Well Pammi, I was always taught from day 1 - if you can't get your hacky out, If you have a total mal, pull your reserve. It's very simple. Nothing to think about or analyze.
It's not like you have anything to look up at and make a judgement call.
With a partial mal, you're falling slower, but you also need to look up at the canopy & make a judgement call. You don't even need to look up if you have a total mal. You can't find your hacky after two tries, pull the silver. Nothing to it.
Also there is a potential danger in not getting the reserve out fast enough. With a total mal you are at terminal velocity and your reserve takes time to inflate. And yes, people do die as a result of not getting their reserve out soon enough. People continue to fumble around, trying again and again to find that hacky, etc.
Anyway, I am a newbie, but this how I was taught to react to a total mal. This is also the procedure in the SIM, and skydiving has been around for fifty years, so I assume they know what they're talking about. I'm going to trust their judgement on this one.
Now one subject of debate is if you have a pilot chute in tow. I think most people would say cutaway first in this situation (in case the main finally comes out), and a few people would say just pull the silver because its a high speed mal, you're still at terminal velocity, so you should pull immediately. Personally I think I'd cutaway & then pull silver if I had a PC in tow, of course I also have an RSL Speed Racer
"De plaene!! De plaene!!"

[Merrick 0]

Well baby.... I'm gonna' have to disagree with you on this one (of course, you already knew that didn't you In the situation of a total mal, meaning I couldn't get even my pilot chute out, I would go straight for the silver. Why you ask?? Well, for one, cutting-away first would waste valuable time, but even more important than that... Let's say you do cut-away, (& I think this is what Randy was getting at) now you have these two loose ends of your risers out danling around your shoulders & back (providing they've slipped out from under your riser covers), you then pull your reserve... as the suspension lines of your reserve come out they entangle with those loose risers, pulling the main out of the container as well, resulting in a main/reserve entanglement, and if the pilot chute is still in it's pouch, wouldn't that also be a horshoe as well (not sure if that one's probable)?? However, while it does make perfect sense to me to have one set procedure for emergency situations, I do think that you have to take the 'situation' into account in your decision process.... and the best place to do that is on the ground at the DZ, on these forums, or whereever, before you ever get into the air. Now, give me a pilotchute in tow (not much diff than a total mal), and I'll cut that bad boy away in a sec.

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"Situation: you are sitting in the plane on the way up. Everyone is happy to finally be free of the constraints of the Earth if for just a few moments. You pass through 1800 feet and life is good. The plane begins to sputter, rocking wildly. The pilot yells, "GET OUT!" What would you pull and why?"

At 1800' I'd go for my main as well. My main opens consistantly at 500 - 700 feet... plenty of time, and if I happen to have a mal as well.... well, then I'd deal with it... but anything over 1500' and I'm going for my main.
"If words were wisdom, I'd be talkin' even more.."

[PhillyKev 0]

You know...this has made me think. Just something to point out to everyone regarding cutting away. Whether you're trained to look red, grab red, look silver, pull red, pull silver (or variation thereof) or hands on both punch right punch left, both of these techniques ensure a very important thing. That you have your reserve handle insight or in hand BEFORE cutting away. The training that you receives tries to make sure that's the case, but noone's ever voiced that particular statement to me.
It makes me think that all the cutaway, no reserve pulls that happen are a case of people panicking, yanking the cutaway and then panicking more and not finding the reserve. Anyone, just wanted to point out no matter what happens, make sure you have your reserve in sight or in hand before cutting. The time to find your reserve is when you still have something slowing you down, even if it is a locked bag over your head, not when you're back in total freefall.