Pressure knot

[xwind 0]

Picture of my malfunction attached.

As you can see the slider is stuck on the left in some sort of pressure knot.
I tried to clear the knot by pulling the riser and releasing. This did not help.
Ran out of altitude before I could try anything else.
Of course it was not possible to determine the cause of the problem when the canopy was retrieved.

I am trying to figure out:

1. What caused the pressure knot?
2. Would it have helped to unstow the brakes?
3. What else could I have tried?

I am pretty sure it was not a packing error since the lines were all clear and stowed very neatly.

Wingsuit South Africa

[kingbunky 3]

the usual cause is twisted brake lines. the remedy is to check the brake lines from the canopy down, pushing any twists down to the toggles. i usually do it once a weekend, but for me that's only about 5 or 6 jumps. your mileage may vary.

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[chanti 0]

Good on you for staying alive, buddy! Was that your hurricane?

See you on the weekend

-Chanti-

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

1. What caused the pressure knot?
2. Would it have helped to unstow the brakes?
3. What else could I have tried?

I always try to pump the toggles twice if I have the time. I've gotten a mess or two to clear up that way. I think pumping the toggles is more effective than pumping the risers, esp. for hung up sliders and closed end cells. Never used the risers to clear a malfunction, so I don't have scientific proof of my technique for tangles and knots.

Military teaches risers, not toggles, and I do have evidence of that being less effective in canopy collapse situations.

[faulknerwn 38]

The one time I fixed one (and I had opened at 12k so I had plenty of time) I noticed the one slack line (like you have in your photo). I reached above my connector link and pulled on the slack line and the tension knot went away...

Whether or not you would have time to do this at 3k is a different story.

W

[Tonto 1]

Lol!

You're a funny guy! Post the pic of the bent reserve! That's what I thought was exciting!

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[mjosparky 4]

The most common cause of "tension knots" is asymmetrical loading of the line groups. This usually the result of a body position, one shoulder low or on you side at line stretch.

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[beezyshaw 0]

I believe that you have your left side steering line cascade trapped below the slider grommet. It appears that the line that looks like it has some "slack" in it is the lower steering line. Like others have suggested, releasing the brakes and pumping the toggles would have likely cleared this malfunction. Unless of course you're way low to begin with, I always recommend releasing the brakes and using the toggles before resorting to a cutaway.

[xwind 0]

Here is a better pic.

Does not look like a steering line.
At time of chop i was at 1.5k.

Since it was my first reserve ride i figured i needed the altitude more than the canopy.

Wingsuit South Africa

[skytash 0]

nothing to do with that conversation we had then?

tash

Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

[recovercrachead 0]

Quote

the usual cause is twisted brake lines. the remedy is to check the brake lines from the canopy down, pushing any twists down to the toggles. i usually do it once a weekend, but for me that's only about 5 or 6 jumps. your mileage may vary.

you can do it in the air too with time and no traffic

Track high, Pull LOW!!!

[jumpdr 0]

I had exactly the same malfunction on my AFF level 2. I tried pumping and flaring no end of times to clear it with no luck. However, I did my control checks and decided that despite the very slow turn on full drive, it was steerable and would have been landable as a small amount of opposite toggle corrected it. I passed my decision altitude and was stuck with it. Then, as I made my turn onto my final leg about 500ft it completely cleared and the slider came down and everything was fine - quite a relief. I imagine on a smaller canopy the turn induced by that would be a little more violent and necessitate a chop.

Skydiving is more than a sport and more than a job: skydiving is pure passion and desire which will fill a lifetime.

[mjosparky 4]

Quote

Quote

the usual cause is twisted brake lines. the remedy is to check the brake lines from the canopy down, pushing any twists down to the toggles. i usually do it once a weekend, but for me that's only about 5 or 6 jumps. your mileage may vary.

you can do it in the air too with time and no traffic

Trying to do rigging in the air is a sure way to end up on a slab.

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals