Releasing Brakes Late

[mjkoziel 0]

I recently read in this months skydiving magazine that a jumper had died spinning in from 200 feet ish.
They said that he regularly did not release his breaks until just before landing.

There were two mals in two weekends up here ending in a cutaway resulting from one break being *stuck* or unreleasable.
So if you don't release your breaks until late in the canopy flight, be aware that you may end up with a spinning canopy very low.

M

[ifallout 0]

Is there any indication what made their brakes un-releaseable? just curious.

Personally i am releasing the brakes pretty much duing opening since my sabre needs help inflating the end cells nearly every time, but still i am curious what would cause he brakes not to be able to be un stowed.


Bill

Play hard, Pull high, Pay attention

Bill

have fun, love life, be nice to the humans

[quade 4]

It would be foolish not to check the entire system (including the brakes) at an altitude from which you might be able to do something to correct the situation. Generally speaking, it's recommended that people do this above 1,800 feet AGL.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[mjkoziel 0]

Mal 1: Crw toggles on microlines. The loop that you stow toggles in would not come off the - big thing on the toggle that gets placed in the loop-

mal 2: Faulty toggle.again, breakstow loop was cought on toggle and would not let the - big thing on the toggle - out of the loop.

[Kirils 1]

I had velcroless toggles and let the excess brake line hang loose. On opening the excess looped around the riser and knoted itself. I now stow them with a rubber band.

"Slow down! You are too young
to be moving that fast!"

Old Man Crawfish

[christoofar 0]

Good point. I have those and worry about a line dump or nasty accidental opening disloging one or both breaks and making a bad situation worse. I think I'll chop my main next time and rubbers on em.

____________________________________________________________
I'm RICK JAMES! Fo shizzle.

[Kris 0]

I generally release my brakes right after I have pointed myself back to the DZ and stowed my slider.

If I have a really long spot I may leave the brakes stowed for a little while. My personal rule is to have my toggles in my hands by 1400'AGL since 1000' (having the cutaway & reserve handles in my hands by that altitude) is as low as I would like to have to cut away a spinning main.

If I were to have a stuck or knotted brake under my Stiletto I really wouldn't want to find out about it 200' off the deck.

For all other malfunctions my hard-deck is 1600'.

Kris

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[Slink2 0]

Is this something that is more dangerous with a smaller or high performance canopy vs a more docile conopy? and if in doubt while doing the canopy check should one just cutaway and go for the reserve. I would hate to get to an altitude too low only to find im in trouble and a reserve won't help now.

[ifallout 0]

i have velcroless toggles too, i route the excess line through the loop at the top of the riser where the ring that attaches the lines is, then pull the top of the toggle out of the elastic stow, put the toggle through the loop in the execss and put the toggle back in the elastic. it stows the excess and releases it when I release the toggle

Bill

have fun, love life, be nice to the humans

[weid14 0]

the report in skydiving was in error, the canopy pilot ALWAYS un-did his brakes at altitude. What happened is anyones guess, but for some reason the right toggle could not be released under canopy. How do I know? I flew by him under canopy no further than 25 feet away, and my last 800-900 skydives were with him.

[mjkoziel 0]

Thanks for Clearing that up!

Matt

[ifallout 0]

can't beat an eye wittness account... can you ask him what happened, just so we can try to avoid it?

thanks

Bill

have fun, love life, be nice to the humans

[flyhi 24]

Quote

i have velcroless toggles too, i route the excess line through the loop at the top of the riser where the ring that attaches the lines is,

I had a situation where I could not release my one brake because the loop mentioned above looped itself around the tab from my slink. The slink tab came out of the riser loop sometime during the opening when the slink rotated. I didn't look up to clear the loop, just grabbed the brakes and pulled down. 99% of the time, no problem. This time the loop latched on the tab and then locked on. I could fly in about 1/2 brakes no problem. I think if I had reached above the riser to the lines, I could have pulled slack in the lines with one hand then unwound the brake line with the other. That day, there were a lot of people in the air, so I didn't think that was a good idea. I landed using rear risers, rolled around on the ground for awhile, and walked in. No harm, no foul, and I learned something.

Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics.

[weid14 0]

Believe me -- I would love to ask him, unfortunately I can't.

[ifallout 0]

I don't have slinks so that has not come up, thanks for letting me know that though i know someone that does the same thing with them

Bill

have fun, love life, be nice to the humans

[ifallout 0]

Sorry stupid question, I let curiosity over ride common sense....

Bill

have fun, love life, be nice to the humans