Airborne CRW Wrap

[kkeenan 14]

I'm not sure how this ended, but it's not looking good at this point...

[JohnRich 4]

That's fuggin ugly.

The guy on the bottom is clear to cut-away and land under a reserve. But if he does so, his main canopy may streamer, and it appears to be the only thing supporting the other entangled jumper. So by giving himself a clean landing, he may be killing the other guy... And if he's not going to cut-away, at least throw out the other reserve parachute, and get more stuff over both their heads.

Got any idea what altitude they're at?

[raceface 0]

from what i heard both with serious injuries but alive

my pictures

[airtwardo 7]

Any idea where it was, who it was?


It looks like a demo.

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

[raceface 0]

AIRPOWER 2011, Zeltweg 01.07.2011 - 02.07.2011
just have found another pictures here:
http://vvsphotography.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/zeltweg-airpower-11-paratroopers-accident/

my pictures

[chuckakers 425]

ew, dats uuuugly.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[lucky508 0]

From what I can see they may have been jumping both the right and left doors of the C-130 at the same time. In the US military this is only done with T-10 or T-11 non maneuverable parachutes to prevent entanglements. Now I know a lot of you will say that sounds like most rounds but non maneuverable means they are no steering toggles to steer the parachute in different directions. The non-maneuverable parachutes can only be “slipped” slightly in one direction or another by pulling down on the risers and holding them. The advantage of this for tactical military parachuting is that troops can make a mass drop and there should be few entanglements since everyone is drifting in the same direction. If both doors are jumped at the same time the jumpers opposite each other can open at the same time and the same altitude. If they are jumping steerable canopies they may drive into each other before they can gain canopy control. In the pictures you can see how close they are to each other on opening. From the drive slots I see it looks like these are steerable rounds. Not sure as these are not the kind of military canopies I have experience with. Since they are doing a demo jump it stands to reason that they are jumping steerable rounds. While the maneuverability does not approach that of a square you can still run or hold, and crab. If you have a good spot you should be fine. If not you have enough maneuverability to make the best of it.
The emergency procedure for jumper entanglement is for both jumpers to deploy their reserves and prepare to do opposite PLF’s. Cutting away is not taught due to the low altitudes and the fact that most of these systems still use the capewell type system. It looks like the lower jumper did not deploy his reserve. This would have helped stabilize them and slow their rate of decent.

Just my observations. Hope these guys are going to be OK. Airborne!

ATW,
Cael