downplane walk-away!!!!?!???

[freakygirl 0]

i only heard part of the story and i wasn't there to witness the event, but here's what i heard:

someone this weekend at a DZ that will remain anonymous until someone from there decides to change that, spun in a downplane just yesterday. i don't know any of the particulars and niether did the person that told me about it that was at the DZ that day. apparently the guy got up and walked away. i don't know if he had any injuries at all or not, but i just thought i would post this in hopes that someone that knows the details would pipe up and spill it. i definitely want to hear how the hell he walked away from a "landing" like that!!!????

[billvon 2,998]

>i definitely want to hear how the hell he walked away from
>a "landing" like that!!!????

Keep in mind that under a average beginner rig, he's landing under 400 square feet of fabric. They can go pretty fast in a downplane, but if the downplane was not "complete" (i.e. not 180 to each other) and if he hit some soft ground - it wouldn't suprise me a bit. I watched someone in Lost Prairie land in a partial downplane without injury, and they were pretty small (120ish sq ft) canopies.

[freefalle 0]

well, before the rumors get to far, Ill chime in. The skydiver in question, is a fairly new skydiver. He was on a coahed jump, and using student gear equiped with a FXC. Im not going to comment on the skydive, because I dont know anything about it or the subsequent break off. The skydiver was watched,from the ground as he deployed, it was noted that he was "way low" as the skydiver deployed his main, the FXC functioned. The aforemented events led to a 2 out malfunction, As the skydiver decended the configuration transitioned to a downplane. The skydiver failed to react to the down plane in any manner and continued to decend. at approx. 30 ft the skydivers canopy entangaled with the feeder power lines to the building that the skydiver was about to impact. The power lines ceased the forward movement as well as the decent and suspended the skydiver approx. 5 feet off the ground. He then pulled the cut away handle and walked away from the incident without injury.

[fluffcake 0]

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well, before the rumors get to far, Ill chime in. The skydiver in question, is a fairly new skydiver. He was on a coahed jump, and using student gear equiped with a FXC. Im not going to comment on the skydive, because I dont know anything about it or the subsequent break off. The skydiver was watched,from the ground as he deployed, it was noted that he was "way low" as the skydiver deployed his main, the FXC functioned. The aforemented events led to a 2 out malfunction, As the skydiver decended the configuration transitioned to a downplane. The skydiver failed to react to the down plane in any manner and continued to decend. at approx. 30 ft the skydivers canopy entangaled with the feeder power lines to the building that the skydiver was about to impact. The power lines ceased the forward movement as well as the decent and suspended the skydiver approx. 5 feet off the ground. He then pulled the cut away handle and walked away from the incident without injury.

aka... touched by god

[ZIPPO4 0]

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well, before the rumors get to far, Ill chime in. The skydiver in question, is a fairly new skydiver. He was on a coahed jump, and using student gear equiped with a FXC. Im not going to comment on the skydive, because I dont know anything about it or the subsequent break off. The skydiver was watched,from the ground as he deployed, it was noted that he was "way low" as the skydiver deployed his main, the FXC functioned. The aforemented events led to a 2 out malfunction, As the skydiver decended the configuration transitioned to a downplane. The skydiver failed to react to the down plane in any manner and continued to decend. at approx. 30 ft the skydivers canopy entangaled with the feeder power lines to the building that the skydiver was about to impact. The power lines ceased the forward movement as well as the decent and suspended the skydiver approx. 5 feet off the ground. He then pulled the cut away handle and walked away from the incident without injury.

aka... touched by god

Bullshit. Lucifer just fucked up the spot.

Idiot guy not knowing altitude.
Idiot guy not knowing to cut away from a downplane.

[JohnMitchell 16]

Lucky, lucky. I used to own an FXC AAD on an AFF rig. It prematurely deployed a couple of times, way high. Big design flaw. Much better to get a Cypress.

[skykittykat 0]

There was another incident this weekend with 2 canopies out...

I wasn't there, but I heard from an incredibly reliable eyewitness that this person had just got "Burked" for pulling low on their previous jump, went up, pulled low and hey presto - Cypres fired. He was OK bar a hurt back.

On the same day, a person turned too low - again only bruised and not busted up.

Why do people not learn???

I am not perfect, however, I did get told last week that I had to have more confidence in landing in congested areas bcause I took the safe option in landing out in the desert, rather than take my chances in a congested area with people messing around under canopy (and I mean messing around at 1000 ft - not the swoopers who want a clean run in).

Liz

[jerry81 10]

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well, before the rumors get to far, Ill chime in. The skydiver in question, is a fairly new skydiver. He was on a coahed jump, and using student gear equiped with a FXC. Im not going to comment on the skydive, because I dont know anything about it or the subsequent break off. The skydiver was watched,from the ground as he deployed, it was noted that he was "way low" as the skydiver deployed his main, the FXC functioned. The aforemented events led to a 2 out malfunction, As the skydiver decended the configuration transitioned to a downplane. The skydiver failed to react to the down plane in any manner and continued to decend. at approx. 30 ft the skydivers canopy entangaled with the feeder power lines to the building that the skydiver was about to impact. The power lines ceased the forward movement as well as the decent and suspended the skydiver approx. 5 feet off the ground. He then pulled the cut away handle and walked away from the incident without injury.

I witnessed something similar last year...low pull, FXC fire, began with a slight main/reserve entanglement and went into a downplane at maybe 300'. The guy walked away as soon as they got him down from the tree that stopped his fall...

---

[AndyMan 7]

Amazing.

That sounds almost exactly the same as an incident that happened at Chicagoland about 5 years ago.

In that case, the down-plane suspended student managed to put himself exactly between two insulated powerlines running alongside highway 30. The powerlines succesfuly stopped the downplane before the student fell gently to the ground, completely uninjured...

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[Bartje 0]

Some people have all the luck,
8 lifes left,

A FreeFly Gypsy

[riggerrob 643]

Reminds me of an incident a month ago.
I concluded that the primary reason that side-by-sides mysteriously turn into down-planes at low altitudes is that jumpers panic about landing into the wind and reef on a toggle to complete the turn.
Patience would have kept the canopies in a biplane or side-by-side and they would have walked away from the landing.
During the incident that I am referring to, the jumper found himself in a biplane (Manta 290 and a Tempo 250). Since the reserve inflated after he had released the main brakes, he just did gentle turns with the main (front canopy) toggles. His most important revelation of the entire skydive was that if he applied more than 1/8 travel to a main toggle, the two canopies tried to separate. He resolved to do only gentle turns. From 1200' he tried to turn into the wind, but eventually landed 30 degrees off the wind-line because he was reluctant to "mess with success."
He did not try to flare, did a "text book perfect PLF" on swampy ground and walked away.
Lesson learned: if you find yourself hanging under a biplane, be very gentle with toggles of the leading canopy, no more than 1/8 travel.

[kelpdiver 2]

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The power lines ceased the forward movement as well as the decent and suspended the skydiver approx. 5 feet off the ground. He then pulled the cut away handle and walked away from the incident without injury.

Isn't that another no-no? Was the power cut?

[freakygirl 0]

i only posted this for 2 main reasons:
a) i wanted to hear what the hell happened and how it all really went down, and
b) i wanted people to maybe learn from this despite reluctance to such a thing (as was mentioned in a previous post). i know people hate learning sometimes, but this is not a sport you want to be ignorant in....

[JohnRich 4]

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Reminds me of an incident a month ago.
I concluded that the primary reason that side-by-sides mysteriously turn into down-planes at low altitudes is that jumpers panic about landing into the wind and reef on a toggle to complete the turn.

What does "reef" on a toggle mean?

[riggerrob 643]

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Reminds me of an incident a month ago.
I concluded that the primary reason that side-by-sides mysteriously turn into down-planes at low altitudes is that jumpers panic about landing into the wind and reef on a toggle to complete the turn.

What does "reef" on a toggle mean?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"reef" means to pull long, hard and quickly.

[freefalle 0]

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i only posted this for 2 main reasons:
a) i wanted to hear what the hell happened and how it all really went down, and
b) i wanted people to maybe learn from this despite reluctance to such a thing (as was mentioned in a previous post). i know people hate learning sometimes, but this is not a sport you want to be ignorant in....

I dont think any objects to you posting this incident. It is a good lesson learned

[Mixxit 0]

I was there for this near-incident too. I was honestly horrified until we got around the corner and saw the jumper luckily suspended from the powerline. Thankfully he's okay.

My question is, when the jumper was asked why he didn't cut away the downplaned main, he said that his reserve had a line twist in it. Considering his low altitude, he was afraid to cut away the main and ride the line-twisted reserve down. What's everyone's opinion on this? Even if there was a twist or two I think I would have still cut it. At the time he landed, both canopies were at his sides.

[jumpwally 0]

interesting,,hhmmm what to do...i don't know,,i suppose you could what if this one till it becomes a dead horse,,I think i'd chop..wt

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[riddler 0]

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Isn't that another no-no?

According to the (begin trumpet fanfare) USPA 2005 SIM (end trumpet fanfare), yes, this is a no-no.

Section 5.1.F.Power Lines.4.g:

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g. If suspended in the wires:
(1) Wait for help from drop zone and power company personnel; nylon conducts electricity at higher voltages.
(2) Verify with only the power company that electrical power is off and will stay off.
(3) If the computer controlling the power distribution senses a fault in the line, computer-controlled resets may attempt to turn the power back on without warning.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD