Effect of Cutaway on Emergency Procedures

[Cajones 0]

I should've done this before Safety Day, but all this talk about cutaways has spurred me to start a valid thread about experiences.

I have a few cutaways, including one tandem reserve ride. One of these resulted in a main (Spinletto) lost in the swamp. I had 7 or 8 jumps on it, so it really hurt financially. I know it's sad that money forced me to rethink emergency procedures, but it has saved me from at least one cutaway.

After chopping my spinning main and losing it, my emergency procedures include some new (very well rehearsed and tested) options.

Keep in mind any information here is based on individual experience. Use it at your own risk.

The laws of physics are strictly enforced.

[skybytch 273]

I haven't chopped one yet (920 jumps, 115-ish of those tandem I); would love to make it to 1000 jumps without one.

Came close on one jump, and that experience did change one of my emergency plans. I've told the story here before - spaced out from a hard opening, noticed the two busted D lines, it turned and flared (kinda) so I landed it. Scary canopy ride! If I ever see more than one broken line on my main again I'm choppin' it.

[ladyskydiver 0]

I've had 1 cut-a-way. It didn't change my emergency procedures at all. Time seemed to have stood still while it happened although I know it was only a couple of seconds. My canopy had started to fling me around. I knew I didn't have the skill level nor the altitude to try and get out of it. I maintained altitude awareness during the whole process. Knew where my handles were due to constant reinforcement of my emergency procedures and did what I needed to do.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[RevJim 0]

One reserve ride, no cutaways, yet.
Hard pull, 3 tries, straight to silver. I rethought my emergeny procedures after that, and will be sticking with it.

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[mikeat10500 12]

Quote

would love to make it to 1000 jumps without one.

You can do it...my DZO has 2000+ jumps and no
mals yet.
...mike

-----------------------------------
Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1
Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

[billvon 3,008]

>my emergency procedures include some new (very well rehearsed
> and tested) options.

What are the new options?

[Michele 1]

My cutaway happened early enough that I simply did what I had been taught and had practiced, and so there was no change instituted after that. It was, while not "mild" exactly, a fairly routine one, so the procedures were somewhat automatic once I realized I had to cutaway. Even everything moving around while under the spinning canopy had been taught to me, and the caution "it's like getting into a very fast elevator with a very fast stop" about the "2nd" freefall and reserve opening had been discussed, so the actual procedure went as anticipated.

I am interested in hearing stories like Cajones'. Thanks for starting the thread!

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[ChileRelleno 0]

I've had two (2) cutaways in 312 jumps.

#1 was a Horseshoe mal induced by premature deployment due to the closing pin somehow being pulled, round reserve, rental gear.
#2 was a spinning mal resulting in cutaway at 1500,deployment at 2500, probably induced by a "quick" packjob and poor body position, square reserve, personal gear.

Previous to the first cutaway I was ever so curious as to how I would react to malfunction/cutaway, not worried just curious.
Early on when I was barely off student status I was still jumping a ripcord rental rig and experienced a floating ripcord. I attempted three times to locate the ripcord and finally got a hold of the cord itself the third time and pulled at aprox 1000, after a good Q&A by the instructor about possible dual deployment the need for well thought and rehearsed emergency procedures was permanently imbedded in my brain.
After that and basically ever since then I review my E procedures off the DZ mentally whenever the thought enters my head (which is often), prior to boarding the plane and just prior to exit.
This works...
When #1 happened I never even seemed to think about what to do, I just did it... I felt the Dbag leave and lines whipping in the wind, quick glance confirms Horseshoe mal, throw P/C, confirm spinning mess, cutaway, pull reserve about same time as RSL.
Cutaway #2 was basically the same...
Reaction without delay, confirm,assess and react

ChileRelleno-Rodriguez Bro#414
Hellfish#511,MuffBro#3532,AnvilBro#9, D24868

[Cajones 0]

The major change I've made to my personal emergency procedures is the reaction to a spinning mal.

I jump a fairly aggressive wingloading (1.6 - 1.7) with a 150 square foot elliptical main. The Samurai I jump now is much more forgiving to line twist than the Stilletto's I gave up for airlocks, but the possibility of a violent spin still exists.

On the cutaway that I lost an almost-new canopy, I reacted with the procedures I was taught early-on and continue to teach to all of my students... Arch hard, look right/red, grab right.red, look left/silver, pull right/red, pull left/silver, arch, arch, arch, check canopy.

These instructions/methods are excellent for students. Consistent and straightforward. Don't waste too much time/altitude wondering what's wrong...

As an experienced skydiver, with a little more bandwidth and altitude awareness I have added two things here:

Altitude permitting, I allow myself a few seconds between pull right (cutaway) and pull left (deploy reserve) to get stable. My camera took a nasty wack as my reserve deployed when I was spinning on my back. I knew I had some altitude, but the "autopilot" kicked in (my hands, not my AAD)and deployed my reserve before I could think about getting stable between cutaway and reserve deployment. Something I considered as I was kicking out the line-twist and knowing my camera had been hit pretty hard.

The second change, altitude permitting, is to perform the huge student "no-no" of unstowing a brake before kicking out line twist. This is something I continue to teach students, again, for the sake of simplicity. My personal procedures, however, are adapted for the higher wingloading/turn-rate of my personal gear. A line twist can induce much greater forces than student gear under a 1.6 wing loading. These forces may prevent "kicking out" of the line twists and - under the student methods - create an automatic cutaway scenario. Under my personal procedures I consider this a "so what if I unstow a toggle - if it makes the mal worse, I'm going to have to chop it anyhow" - however, it may improve the canopy/situation.

I have since had two spinning mals (one under a Spinletto, and one under a highly loaded VX) that would've been cutaways under my "old" procedures. I recovered both by applying opposite toggle input to counter the turn enough to get the line-twist out.

Keep in mind two important factors!!!... Don't break your hard-deck trying to save your main - when in doubt, whip-it-out. Practice ALL of your emergency procedures (often) on the ground - the more you practice/rehearse on the ground, the less you have to improvise in the air.

The laws of physics are strictly enforced.

[councilman24 37]

The other question is have you had a PC in tow and did it change your procedures. I had one, did not cutaway first (my procedure was not to cutaway from a PC in tow), would have died if I had cutaway, and my procedures haven't changed.

I also have had 3 cutaways, all 1986 or earlier. No change. VHS video of round reserve (Phantom 24) available.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[betzilla 56]

I had one. I didn't change my emergency procedures, but it did change my packing procedures: I had jammed my toggle so far into the retaining loop on the steering line (past the stiff part, so the soft part was through the loop) that, when the line was under pressure, I couldn't release the brake. Of course, the other side released just fine. It was a borrowed canopy 2 sizes smaller than what I was used to, and I didn't want to risk landing it that way, so CHOP. I'm much more careful when I set my brakes now.
Lucky for me, we found all the stuff that flew away in the chop.

[JeffGordon 0]

I know what you mean about the new canopy thing. When I first got my new stilleto, it spun up on me and I was way low when I got kicked out of it. Had to land in a really tight area near power lines. In retrospect, I probably should have chopped it, I probably would have, if it weren't so new.

[wmw999 2,460]

The only change in my emergency procedures so far has to do with the changes in gear. I don't need to cut away using capewells any more, and I'm supposed to arch instead of de-arch. But I haven't had a really fast-spinning mal, either.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)