My First Cutaway: Jump 14

[Frenchjumper 0]

So I had my first cutaway this weekend, first jump of the morning too! I am a newbie, finished my Aff up this March so I only had 13 jumps prior. Exit and freefall went very smoothly and even my deployment went well. Once under canopy I left my breaks stowed to perform rear riser turns(for the A license proficiency card), one left and one right. After I was at about 4-3.5k and unstowed my breaks, here's when it happened. My right came out fine and left line somehow got jammed and the toggle handle was flapping down by my side near my hip and I could see the cat's eye at the ring where the breakline feeds through. So I immediately went into a downward spiral. I gave two attempts to try and unjam the line and it wouldn't budge, so I looked down, got sight of my handles and pulled accordingly(got some praise for holding onto both cutaway handles). I was shocked at how fast I was under the reserve(had the RSL as well), couldn't have been more than a second or two from pulling the first handle. Definitely got the juices flowing! Flew my landing pattern and came down smoothly. Nice to know the cutaway system works so well! After, I shook it off and did 4 more great jumps to complete the day. Any thoughts on how that break line got jammed? I only had a couple adrenaline filled seconds to analyze it so I really couldn't see if there where any bunches of line that resembles a knot or anything.

[jumpsalot-2 3]

No matter what jammed the line .... you made a good choice to cut-away. You can find the cause of the jam on the ground later.

Life is short ... jump often.

[fencebuster 7]

I had my first cut-away on CAT C-1. I couldn't believe that I had to cut away -- there, square, not controllable, not landable -- and I went through the drill 2 or three times before I was convinced I was on Plan B. But since that cut-away, I have never hesitated to go to Plan B. 6 Cut-aways and 7 reserve rides in 1500 jumps. You do what you need to do to stay alive.

Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

[Quagmirian 40]

You did well. Good on you.

[tikl68 6]

Yep +1. To answer your question of how to fix it, you did, EPs and look at it on the ground. Good decision making. Good execution.

There are other options when you have mad experience, but stick to your ep's for now and dont focus on in flight rigging.

[sundevil777 102]

You should also realize that you could have stopped the turn by using the other toggle - the side that operated normally. That does not mean that it would have been wise to land your main, but it could have given you time under a "normally" flying canopy to assess the situation. Options on how you might land under such conditions are better left for a long discussion with instructors/others in person, and I would expect them to tell a person with 14 jumps that cutting away would be the right thing to do without delay. Still, I think you ought to realize the turn could be stopped. Good job in not letting it kill you.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[Frenchjumper 0]

It just goes to show it can happen at any time, once I was under reserve I couldn't believe it happened to me on jump 14 haha. I definitely felt executing my EP's was the best option since my knowledge of the equipment is not at a high level just yet. I am glad I had the experience so I am more comfortable in a situation like that from here on out.

[Frenchjumper 0]

That was one of the 1st things I heard form an instructor once I was on the ground and to be honest while I was in the moment I didn't even think of that. As soon as I saw that line wasn't going anywhere my mind immediately went to preparing for cutting away. You are right though, they stated that as an option but then said I made the right call since I'm not too experienced with the equipment.

[FlyLikeARaven 0]

Sounds like you stayed calm and made an honest assessment of what you were capable of, and saved your own life. Congrats (and beer), and good job!

Glad you were able to make four jumps after the cutaway, too. I know a guy who stopped jumping for a few weeks after a cutaway on jump 12 (he's got his A now and I jumped with him this weekend). Nothing at all wrong with that, but getting back in the sky right away works better for some people.

Now you know you can handle it and stay calm. Good on ya.

I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

[megamalfunction 1]

"No shit, there I was, I thought I was going to die..."

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

megamalfunction

"No shit, there I was, I thought I was going to die...had a problem, but handled is correctly and am safe on the ground"

FIFY
To the OP:

You had a problem. You attempted to assess it, perhaps to fix it. You couldn't see anything that was "fixable", so you promptly and properly executed your EPs.

You made it safely to the ground (and had enough presence of mind to hang onto your handles).

Was it fixable?
Could a more experienced jumper have seen what the issue was and sorted it out without having to cut away?

Maybe, maybe not.

Have too many jumpers gotten hurt or killed trying too long to fix something like this?

Absolutely.

I think you made good decisions. Your instructors and most of the people on here agree.

Nice job.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[377 22]

Nice job!

You were trained well and performed well.

You will no longer have to wonder how you will perform if you have a malfunction. You now KNOW you can handle it.

Don't forget to buy your rigger a bottle of something real nice.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Awesome! You got that out of the way early, now you don't have to worry about it for the next couple hundred jumps.

It's definitely more exciting than your average jump. I can't get an erection anymore unless there's a cutaway involved.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[bgrozev 3]

Surely you're not suggesting that the probability to have a malfunction has decreased somehow?


On the original topic: I haven't had a cutaway yet and I am not as confident as I would like to be that I will react correctly and in time when I have to do one. When it happens, I would be happy about it if I deal with it as the OP did.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

bgrozev

Surely you're not suggesting that the probability to have a malfunction has decreased somehow?


On the original topic: I haven't had a cutaway yet and I am not as confident as I would like to be that I will react correctly and in time when I have to do one. When it happens, I would be happy about it if I deal with it as the OP did.

My first one was neighborhood of 160 jumps and it's was like I'd done the cutaway/reserve training in ground school a single day earlier. It's amazing how fast it comes back to you. Just look up, realize you want nothing to do with the canopy that just opened (or didn't open, or exploded) over your head and let all that instruction kick in.

Better yet, if you're nervous about it, there's no shame in asking the dropzone to let you do the drill with the equipment you used in ground school. It doesn't hurt to do a refresher every so often on anything you think is getting rusty.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[FreefallingCari 0]

Well done! You are alive!

Skydiver Survivor; Battling Breast Cancer one jump at a time. DX June 19th 2014
I have been jumping since October 5th 2013.
https://pinkribbonskydiver.wordpress.com/