handle check failed

[nathaniel 0]

had a great day at hinckley today, only one major screwup in my book and walked away unscathed

load #2, set for a 3-way sitfly. 10 minute call and I'm just finishing packing from load #1. gear up and hop on the plane...full load squish in. ride to 14k is a little sleepy, forgot my mints in the rush to gear up. cotton mouth all around, not to mention Skydiver (TM) brand Morning-Breath

engines cut, door open jumpers away! stand up check pc .. pc ... pc where are you? three-way turned into a two way without me while a tandem videographer checks out my pc. The handle had gotten neatly wedged all the way into the boc pouch, and had I stepped 5 feet in the wrong direction I'd have had only one parachute left.

I'm pretty obsessive about handle checks and I'm certain the handle was exposed when I got on the plane...had a pin check on the ground and felt it myself too...must have jammed it in when scooting in for the load...

would have sucked to cut the weekend short for a reserve repack, or worse.

moral of the story: check your freakin handles!

nathaniel

My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski?

[b1jercat 0]

Right on, I scooted in to a 182 the other day and the pilot leaned me over saying he wanted to check my hackey, because when I got in I twisted a half turn to the right which could dislodge my handle. Some of lifes best lessons are the little ones.
blue skies
jerry

[andy2 0]

wow thats not a little lesson at all! A PC out in the plane could be disastrous. This is the thing I'm most scared of in skydiving, I don't want my damn main to pop out in the otter. I check my handles all the time. I will not become complacent

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let my inspiration flow,
in token rhyme suggesting rhythm...

[riggerrob 643]

That is why - even though I have done all the hooks and handles checks prescribed by Strong Enterprises before jump run - I always slap my main handle one more time when I get near the door.

[amy 0]

Quote

A PC out in the plane could be disastrous. This is the thing I'm most scared of in skydiving, I don't want my damn main to pop out in the otter. I check my handles all the time. I will not become complacent

I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of closing loop maintenance in preventing this kind of thing. Of the last 5 reserves that I've repacked, 3 of them had horribly worn main closing loops. An open container in the plane will at best lead to your landing with the plane while your buddies jump. At worst, it could kill you and everyone in the aircraft. An open container on the step is even more dangerous (imagine what happens when your d-bag goes over the tail and your body goes under it).

Main closing loops also need to be checked for appropriate length. If you can close your container with one hand tied behind your back, your closing loop is too long (I once had a rigger-friend who said that if his girlfriend could close his container, his loop needed shortening. That might be a little extreme, but he does have a point). If your bridle comes unstowed in freefall, the drag from the flapping bridle will pull a loose pin out, causing a horseshoe malfunction (I've seen it happen). If your back rubs against something as you're climbing out, a pin in a tight closing loop is less likely to come loose and cause a deployment on the step.

Don't let your main closing loop go "one more jump." Premature deployments are dangerous!

Amy

[Jessica 0]

Quote

handle check failed

Sounds to me like the handle check worked exactly like it was supposed to. Congratulations on saving yourself a reserve ride or worse! A lot of people don't pat their handles just before exit.

Skydiving is for cool people only