two out, main and reserve entanglment

[airbornesoon 0]

almost got a trip to the ER or worse for sure. The static line system they use is Velcro and attaches to the pilot chute that gets packed ontop of the dbag. The static line has a cable that closes the container. Wellllll the static line pulled and from what we seen on the video the bag stayed closed somewhat, as you could see the netting from the PC still sitting on top of the container. Emerg procedures are when nothing's there you pull reserve right away. Well when I pulled my reserve it dislodged my main and they opened at same time. i am assuming casuse the pilot shute is on the top of the dbag for the main on this configuration, it inflated and from what i guess it went up through the front left riser of my reserve. cause it was wraped around the riser. If anyone youtubes that malfunction it is never good ending and that's what I was thinkin about as I had two parachutes tangled through each other and creating an "x" one chute was facing left. One right and not side by side but tangled and ontop of one another. No steering and coming in like a meteor.

Thank god I'm a good plf-er cause I came in, cross wind no steering and rolled like a champ.

what my question to you more experienced jumpers out there is
"what would you do?"

i have replayed this over and over in my head. My instructor said i did everything properly and remained calm.
i know this is more than just rare for this to happen especially on static line.. but any input is good input

thanks

Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

[darora15 0]

This is also a question for the more experienced jumpers. Would disconnecting the RSL and cutting the main have helped? Or would that make the tangle worse?

Paddle faster....I hear banjo music

[airbornesoon 0]

i never cut away cause there was nothing above me at all when i looked back. so the RSL didnt do anything in this case as i went right for reserve handle.

Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

[Jalien 0]

What about cutting away once you had the 2 out? Or would the main have choked the reserve?

[airbornesoon 0]

the main was wrapped around the reserve risers so i was affraid that if i cut away that it could possibly just pull on one side of my reserve making me have nothing but a colapsed canopies over my head

Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

This is one of the reasons that some DZs teach to pull cutaway then reserve ripcord in this situation. Doing so would have made the entanglement less likely to occur.

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[sundevil777 102]

GLIDEANGLE

This is one of the reasons that some DZs teach to pull cutaway then reserve ripcord in this situation. Doing so would have made the entanglement less likely to occur.

You do not know that. Do not pretend that the decision to cutaway first is so clear.

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

[gowlerk 2,191]

You did every thing right and are very lucky to have escaped uninjured. However there must have been a packing error made in how the main was packed. That's my take on it, others will disagree.

This thread will likely cause a heated discussion on whether to cut away or not. My belief is that there is no correct answer to this question. Most people can not accept that.

Ken

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[topdocker 0]

Let me first congratulate you on surviving a main reserve entanglement and being okay enough to talk about it afterward. It's a fairly small group of people.....

Whatever you did and survived is the right answer. If you felt that the main was entangled enough with the reserve that it could imperil the reserve's function by releasing it, then keeping it is the right answer. Control is the key: can you control the reserve and can you control the main (keep it out of the way or wrapped around your body, etc.) then not cutting away is a good thing. The difficulty lies in that how things are flying early may deteriorate during the descent and create issues.

Honestly, the right answer is the one that kept you alive. There will most likely be a holy-war type discussion on the whole merits of cutting away a total or just firing your reserve, but the best answer is the one you feel comfortable doing when its your time as long as you have thought through all the scenarios. (And then you will find yourself in a completely different one!)

Good job staying alive!
top

Jump more, post less!

[airtwardo 7]

topdocker

Let me first congratulate you on surviving a main reserve entanglement and being okay enough to talk about it afterward. It's a fairly small group of people.....

Whatever you did and survived is the right answer. If you felt that the main was entangled enough with the reserve that it could imperil the reserve's function by releasing it, then keeping it is the right answer. Control is the key: can you control the reserve and can you control the main (keep it out of the way or wrapped around your body, etc.) then not cutting away is a good thing. The difficulty lies in that how things are flying early may deteriorate during the descent and create issues.

Honestly, the right answer is the one that kept you alive. There will most likely be a holy-war type discussion on the whole merits of cutting away a total or just firing your reserve, but the best answer is the one you feel comfortable doing when its your time as long as you have thought through all the scenarios. (And then you will find yourself in a completely different one!)

Good job staying alive!
top

I was thinking about that since this morning.

Playing the 'what-if' game in my head...all I can say is it's hard to argue with success in a situation like this one.

To the OP: Good awareness & Kudos on keeping a cool head. Now go out and buy a lottery ticket!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[popsjumper 2]

Congrats!
Geez...emergency situation, no panic, performed training.....I could wish so much for ALL young jumpers.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[popsjumper 2]

Quote

what my question to you more experienced jumpers out there is
"what would you do?"

i have replayed this over and over in my head. My instructor said i did everything properly and remained calm.

i know this is more than just rare for this to happen especially on static line.. but any input is good input

thanks

My input:
Even though I might have been screaming, cussing and tellin' powers that be to kiss my butt, it doesn't matter what I would do.

YOU did what you were trained to do. You done good.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[keithbar 1]

popsjumper

Quote

My input:
Even though I might have been screaming, cussing and tellin' powers that be to kiss my butt, it doesn't matter what I would do.

YOU LIVED! You done good.

fify

i have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am .

[JohnMitchell 16]

gowlerk

You did every thing right and are very lucky to have escaped uninjured. However there must have been a packing error made in how the main was packed. That's my take on it, others will disagree.

This thread will likely cause a heated discussion on whether to cut away or not. My belief is that there is no correct answer to this question. Most people can not accept that.

Even the USPA feels that way. They list both methods in the SIM.

[JohnMitchell 16]

I think you did the right thing. Keep as much nylon over your head as possible. In a downplane it's in front of you and you need to get rid of some of it.

Good job PLF'ing. That's a very important and often forgotten survival skill in our sport. It's kept me out of the hospital more than once.