That Sucked - Check Your Steering Lines

[flyhi 24]

Had a weird one this weekend that I thought I would share to broaden the knowledge of all.
I jump a Javelin with no velcro on it. My Vector use to have a velcro'd cover for the bight created from setting the brakes. Not so with the Javelin. After I had the Slinks installed, my rigger said to just feed the bight through the external slink loop between the riser and the lines to keep it. The Slinks also have a tab which should stay stowed in the riser loop. Key word: should.
This weekend after dumping and checking out a good canopy over my head, I collapsed the slider, reached up, grabbed the toggles, and unstowed the brakes. My right brake only came down about two inches and hung up on something. Tried using excessive pressure, and as always not a good idea. I checked steerability using rear risers and opted to land using them. Once on the ground, I looked at my steering line and found that the bight had twisted and ended up around the Slink tab which had worked its way out of the riser. By pulling down, I had locked it in place. Bad juju.
In the future during packing, I will be more attentive to ensuring the Slink tab is in place inside the riser. Also, prior to unstowing the brakes, will make sure the steering line bights are free and unencumbered.
No blood, no foul, but be careful out there. Bad stuff can always happen.
Is it hot in here, or am I crazy? - Charles Manson
flyhi

[RippedCord 0]

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AMDG

[vonSanta 0]

Had almost exactly the same thing happen for a jumper (on borrowed gear) last Sunday. Definitely worth a heads-up.

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

[kyros1 0]

Sorry for taking your time.

What I am doing is that the excess brake line I take it and pass it through the loop of the riser (I have S-links installed. Is that something similar with what you describe?

Thnx
Kyros

[riddler 0]

With slinks, I make an effort to always adjust them while I'm packing. It adds only about 30 seconds to the pack time, but I push the tab inside the riser, and if necessary, I slide the lines around to adjust it and make sure the slinks get "set" and the tab stays in the riser and out of the way.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[sundevil777 102]

Passing it through the riser opening makes it much more likely to catch on the slink tab, if that is what you mean.

After the slinks took a 'set' there is no way at all that the tabs will rotate out on my wide/conventional risers. It seems that it is much easier for narrow risers. If in doubt, they should be tacked down, if for no other reason than to preserve the full strength of the slinks as designed.

Even after the recent tragic incident, I have decided that routing the excess brake line through the slink loop is still the way I will go. My tabs just can't rotate out, and it is very secure.

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

[tbrown 26]

Even after the recent tragic incident, I have decided that routing the excess brake line through the slink loop is still the way I will go. My tabs just can't rotate out, and it is very secure.

[pilotdave 0]

Quote

So what is available ?

Some risers have a loop on the opposite side to stow the excess. I don't think it's very common... yet. After this accident I think it will be. I don't know how anyone could keep stowing them in the riser loop now. Even without a "built in" solution, there are other alternatives.

Dave

[Squeak 17]

I hyave the band on the back of the riser for stowing excess line, on 3 occassions now I have had it wrap around one or 2 fingers after unstowing my toggles. I no longer do anything with the bight, I lay is along the side of the reserve tray when packing and its not a problom on opening (so far)

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