crosspost: teardrop - check your PC handle

[bluefingers 0]

Hi all
Cross post from gen skydiving. I don't know anything about the incident involved, and am not a rigger, or even close. Just thought I'd post this email sent out to south african skydivers by Aerodyne. FYI

Hi Skydivers

As many of you have heard, there was an incident involving a PISA manufactured Teardrop, whereby the main pilot chute handle was pulled off the pilot chute during deployment sequence.
We are currently drawing up a Safety Bulletin regarding this, and will publish it ASAP.

If you own a PISA manufactured Teardrop, please check your main pilot chute where the plastic tube handle is sewn onto the pilot chute fabric. If you find that there is any wear at all, or it looks like it is coming loose, please do not jump it until it has been modified in one of the following ways:

1) The zig-zag stitching has been re-enforced with bartacks (A Qualified Rigger must do this)
2) It has been sent to the PISA factory, now called Aerodyne Systems, for a factory upgrade / modification.

If there is no wear, please still get your nearest rigger to do this mod, or send it back to us.

If you have any queries regarding this, please contact me on the below numbers.

NB: If you have already replaced the plastic tube handle with a Hackey Sack or Monkey Claw, this should not apply to your pilot chute, but check it anyway to be on the safe side...

Kerry

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

I'm cool then. I have one, but I've had a hackey put on, plus it's a new pc anyway as the rigger put a nice big hole in my original one . Thanks for the heads up though

____________________
Say no to subliminal messages

[andy2 0]

you could still pull the PC out if the handle broke, right? I'll make sure to check the PC I am jumping with though, thanks

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

[Newbie 0]

Quote

I'm cool then. I have one, but I've had a hackey put on, plus it's a new pc anyway as the rigger put a nice big hole in my original one . Thanks for the heads up though

Whats up mate, i was just about to email you to make sure you had checked this, sounds like you you're fine anyway.

I just had my toggle replaced with a hacky last week, before i had even heard about this incident, so i think that should be ok but i want to check to make sure it's bartacked but don't really know what to look for other than "cross stitching that is sewn tightly together".

If anyone can tell me exactly what a bartack stitch looks like to make sure my rigger put it on the hacky (although im pretty sure the guy did, he knows his sh*t for sure) then i would appreciate that.

Thanks

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[Newbie 0]

Quote

you could still pull the PC out if the handle broke, right?

i doubt that, especially if your BOC pouch is nice and tight as it should be - besides which if you pulled and let go of the toggle/hackey how would you know if the PC was even attached or not? (unless you actually turn and look at the PC as you throw; see my post from last week in the S & T forum about whether or not this is a good idea).

I'm not saying its not possible, but with my limited experience, if i pulled and threw my PC handle and nothing had happened, i sure as hell wouldn't waste time searching around back there, trying to work out if a) my PC was still in the pouch and if so b)how i was going to extract it without a toggle/handle - I would be going straight to emergency procedures to save time.

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[BBKid 0]

Thanks for this, although I don't have a teardrop, a lot of my friends have them second hand, so probably won't have got this heads up. Will pass on the info.

Nick
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"I've pierced my foot on a spike!!!"

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

99.9% of the teardrops in the UK are made by TSE though. This only affects south african teardrops.

____________________
Say no to subliminal messages

[marcin 0]

My girlfriend has a TD man'd in SA a year ago. When I first saw it the one think that I didnt like was the attachment of the PC handle to the PC, which seem very weak. She didnt put many jumps in on it, but we'll now be careful.

Marcin