My scary jump #13...

[Toasted_Cracker 0]

This was my 3rd solo jump after being cleared from AFF. My other jumps have all went fairly smooth, nothing to bad. But this jump was different...

I exited the plane at 13,500ft. I got stable fairly quickly and everything was good till about 8000ft when I started a lazy clock-wise spin. No big deal, ive corrected this before I thought. But for some reason when I went to try and correct it I took off like a helicopter! I started spinning so fast that It was pulling my legs and arms out and I felt my self getting starting to get that feeling that I could pass out.

I pulled the chute at 5,000ft. Naturally I had several line twists. Which wasn't that big of a deal. I was free of them by 3000ft. I was dizzy the earth was still spinning beneath me. lol

I landed fine though it was a bit off target.

Im not sure what happened. I am thinking that I must have had my legs wrong. Maybe one bent more than the other?

Just how dangerous are flatspins like that? What is the best way to stop them? I think next time though if I feel it speeding up I am just going to go ahead and pull before it gets going to fast again.

Thoughts?

[coflyer 0]

Exact the same thing happened to me on my jump #16. I was spinning like hell. I thought I could fix it, but it actually went worse. I pulled at 7000.

I believe this is due to wrong leg position. After learned leg turn, this never happens again.

[mdrejhon 8]

Leg awareness exercises. Preferably with a coach. Try experimenting with your legs (turning without your arms) next time, so you get famliar with how leg position affects/helps/interferes with your turn.

Be careful, flat spins has been dangerous before and I believe has killed at least one (from things like delayed pulls or reserve difficulties) But easy to recover from once you figure it out.

[michalm21 2]

that's quite funny, as this is exactly like my jump #13 a few years ago... clockwise turn i couldnt stop and pull at 5k into line twists...
I was a bit scared afterwards, but decided to make yet another skydive and work it out.... never had it happen to me again in freefall.
like it was said, it seems like leg awareness. it may have been a one time thing like it happened to me.
i recommend some tunnel time to get more confidence and develop more awareness to not get in that situation again.

[Vimes 0]

This could be a leg problem, were you trying new leg positions? How long after your last jump was this one?

It could be that in trying to correct the turn you kinked your upper body instead of banking in the direction you needed to stop the turn. The kink is well known to cause the exact spin you are talking about, whilst giving the impression that you are doing the correct turn motion. This kink is what AFF instructors are on the look out for from lv4 onwards.

KINK = leaning your upper body towards the direction you wish to turn instead of banking. This causes the air to be displaced and turns you the opposite direction (usually very fast) if done thinking the correct action is applied logic tells you to increase the action which just makes it worse.

Now I am not saying this is what happen but it might be, grab your instructor and ask him to watch you initiate turns on a creeper and see if this kink appears.

Good job on your priorities of freefall though.
have fun

[lintern 1]

I never had this problem, but when doing AFF, a friend of mine had problems with uncontrolled turns and spinning.

When he started jumping solo, I heard my AFF instructor tell him that if he starts spinning, to go into a 'slow' track (providing he had altitude to do so).

Slowly straighten your legs and bring your arms by your side to track, then slowly go back to the neutral position.

Only do a short track, in case you end up going up going up or down the flight line.

By going into a track position, you are changing whatever is causing you to spin whilst in the neutral position (i.e. arm or leg).

I dont know how well this works, but its something you could try, providing you have altitude.

Uncontrolled spinning should not be happening, so as said before, it would be wroth getting in the tunnel.

At least you did the right thing by pulling on this occasion.

[muz 1]

Relax your limbs and feel how the airflow supports them :) Try!

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

My jump # 13 was a terrifying episode as well. My excitement had to do with instability at pull time and a resulting low pull. Not my finest moment!

I had a great coach and we got through it.

Patience, Grasshopper.

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

[skycc 0]

Sorry you had a scary experience on your jump. Personally I would talk to instructors at your dz and also see if you can get someone to video you when you jump again. And yes, leg turns and increasing leg awareness are good. Legs/knees tend to cause spins.

Honestly I'm surprised to read about several here that had these issues after AFF training was completed. I got into a spin during one of my own AFF jumps many years ago and still remember how scary it was for me as a student.

And remember, if anyone jumps out after you, or if the pilot isn't expecting a parachute opening extremely high, that can be a huge safety issue. I think you ought to have confidence you can self-recover from any freefall issues at this point. Again, please talk to your instructors. If I had signed you off of AFF and this happened, I would want to jump with you again (no charge) and see what is going on.

[Tuna-Salad 0]

I rode the plane down on #13 due to bad weather

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[AFFI 0]

This does not sound like an experience that should be looked back on as “scary”.

You were altitude aware, deployed as you were trained to do and altitude aware while dealing with situations under canopy. If anything, this experience should give you confidence in the sense that you can take care of the most important thing – having a safe landing.

I think you did an outstanding job!
Way to go!

Discuss this situation with your instructor(s) at the DZ you are learning at, they can direct you better than anyone can in an online forum – this is the last place you want to receive coaching for an issue like this that requires personal first hand attention.

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

[nerd137 0]

Got a tunnel nearby? 15 minutes - with a coach - would in all likelihood forever cure you of flat spin issues.

[DanG 1]

Quote

I never had this problem, but when doing AFF, a friend of mine had problems with uncontrolled turns and spinning.

When he started jumping solo, I heard my AFF instructor tell him that if he starts spinning, to go into a 'slow' track (providing he had altitude to do so).

Slowly straighten your legs and bring your arms by your side to track, then slowly go back to the neutral position.

Only do a short track, in case you end up going up going up or down the flight line.

By going into a track position, you are changing whatever is causing you to spin whilst in the neutral position (i.e. arm or leg).

I dont know how well this works, but its something you could try, providing you have altitude.

Uncontrolled spinning should not be happening, so as said before, it would be wroth getting in the tunnel.

At least you did the right thing by pulling on this occasion.

To the OP: Please, please, please talk to your instructors before taking this advice. It is poor advice at best.

Actually, this applies for any advice from not only the Internet, but from "some dude" at the DZ. Let your instructors instruct you, they are probably pretty good at it.

- Dan G

[jenkincb00 0]

tracking may solve the spin but it may also put you and others in more danger as you could track into another group...I know it was suggested as a "slow" track but if you can't control a spin I'm not sure you could control the speed and direction of a track to counter the spin. Heel taps to get your legs even may work...as previously stated I would caution any one from pulling high as you could have a collission with groups exiting after you, tandems, AFF, video folks are still in free fall at this altitude.

Talk to a local instructor