Ron 10 #1 May 4, 2005 1st sorry to hear. 2nd I don't understand this:According to people who saw the video, it seemed that William started to flair and realized he had no lift and that he was going to strike the hill going very fast. Can anyone explain this to me?"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #2 May 4, 2005 Quote1st sorry to hear. 2nd I don't understand this:According to people who saw the video, it seemed that William started to flair and realized he had no lift and that he was going to strike the hill going very fast. Can anyone explain this to me? I'm only assuming that it means if he had the lift he needed, he might have been able to either shut down the canopy or lift it up or carve around the hill. In any case, you don't have a flare, you can't slow down or do much of anything..."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 10 #3 May 4, 2005 QuoteI'm only assuming that it means if he had the lift he needed, he might have been able to either shut down the canopy or lift it up or carve around the hill. In any case, you don't have a flare, you can't slow down or do much of anything... I understand that...I have jumps at 2.6, PRO rated ect... What I don't understand is how a canopy that is planed out can lose lift. Being on the leward side of a hill COULD do it....But it would have to be a big hill. A better description (if possible) of the factors might be able to prevent someone else from this same accident. Also, while protecting your body is a great idea. Dropping the toggles may not be the best course of action. From PD's Flying and Landing High Performance Parachutes Safely Quotehttp://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/flylnd.pdf D. Top priority when you blow it: Wings level on impact! If you discover you’ve blown it, try to salvage the situation by getting the wings exactly level, while still flaring out of the dive. Don’t give up, and keep the toggles in the best position right through the impact with the ground."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 4 #4 May 4, 2005 Ron, Josh Seavgrave had the same sort of thing happen to him at Coolidge when he femured recently. Jumping in pretty high winds, he got wings level and then the canopy just "went away" on him and had no lift. Possible burble off the one tree on the DZ, but it just happened. In William's case, the canopy went away as he was heading to dry ground, up the embankment where most experienced jumpers land at Gold Coast. Very unfortunate that he hit the embankment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Miranda 0 #5 May 4, 2005 Just a thought....maybe this could be better discussed in the incidents forum? maybe?.... you know, so that this thread could be about William's progress.....just wondering..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Conundrum 1 #6 May 4, 2005 QuoteJust a thought....maybe this could be better discussed in the incidents forum? maybe?.... you know, so that this thread could be about William's progress.....just wondering..... That's what I was thinking too. edit: nm, I guess it was already moved. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 10 #7 May 4, 2005 QuoteJust a thought....maybe this could be better discussed in the incidents forum? maybe?.... you know, so that this thread could be about William's progress.....just wondering..... There is not a thread there. I checked. I would hate for the lesson (if there is one) to be lost."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
parachutist 2 #8 May 5, 2005 Quote1st sorry to hear. 2nd I don't understand this:According to people who saw the video, it seemed that William started to flair and realized he had no lift and that he was going to strike the hill going very fast. Can anyone explain this to me? I watched his approach, his flare and his hard right turn into the hill. To me the canopy seemed to be flying as one would expect it to fly when right toggle input is given. Landing pattern seemed planned and functional: - Downwind til approx 500 ft (my estimate) - 90 degree left front riser turn (initiated and completed with plenty of altitude for recovery) - This left him headed cross-wind straight down the beer line for final leg (toward the hangar). Everything seemed normal up to this point, except that I thought it was a little too close to the hangar and should have been done with more room to spare.... but it was far enough away that minor adjustment was all that may have been required. At this point the canopy was coming out of the dive on its own and coming more toward level, though still descending and flying forward fast. - At what I estimate was 35 feet, the canopy made a hard fast right turn into the dirt hill. This happened at the altitude at which I was expecting him to start giving some toggle or rear riser input to start planing the canopy out. Some people have thought it may have been turbulence, but I believe the canopy was flying as you would expect it to when a right toggle was pulled. I think the most likely cause for the hard right turn: started flaring and accidentally dropped left toggle. A more unlikely cause: Could have realized that he was heading toward hangar at high rate of speed and made a panic turn. This wouldn't make a lot of sense though because the turn to the right aimed the canopy downwind and toward the tarmac... while there was open green grass to the left. Minor turn to the left would have put him in an empty landing area, heading more into the wind. Whatever the cause, I do hope Mr. Brightwell recovers well; I hope he can discuss this with us all to let us know what really happened. Chris Warnock Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RkyMtnHigh 0 #9 May 31, 2005 I visited William today and I'm so happy I did! His progress is miraculous!! He walked down the hall today without a walker!He was spunky as hell when Andre and I were there along with his mom and said "no, no and NO!" I told him the Japanese Fart joke and he laughed and he told us a joke and all we could understand was "fuck you, NO, FUCK YOU!" it was most funny as he put his hands out and demonstrated the "NO, fuck YOU" part of the joke! He was kicking his legs and pulling them up....William is a fighter no doubt! He has surgery this Friday fusing his C1 to C2. I am so hopeful and pray that this surgery will be the start to much more progress. Also, I admired his "wall of fame" of cards, emails, letters, and photos...it was like he is running for Mayor! I told him that and he laughed and said "dude you have a lot of friends!"..he said "yup but where are the pics of me on there?" So, next on the "to do" list for Laurel and the mom is to get pics of William on that wall and kuhl skydiving videos to watch...he's getting bored with CNN _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
