bb1v+@andrew.cmu.edu (Barry Lowell Brumitt) (06/10/91)
Just a coupla observations from this weekends jumping... We had two malfunctions this weekend (140 jumps made at the DZ in that period), and both were preventable with a little care. First, do you know what "bingo chips" are? "poker chips" ? "slider stops" ? They're the little pieces of metal on your stabalizers where some of the lines attach. They prevent the stabilizers from pulling through the canopy. One person got a burn right on the fabric covering his at some point, and on a subsequent jump, about 2 ft. of stabilizer fabric was pulled through the gromet.Needless to say, he had to cut away. He (and several others at the DZ) were never told to check them. Just something to keep in mind. Second, climbing out at 9500 I saw A's reserve chute escape, screaming "GO!" I shoved him off the step... (Cessna) His reserve canopy caught on the tail, and not only ripped the canopy badly, but manged the rear stabilizer and (?) elevator. I and the other jumper exitted immedaitely afterward. The pilot was able to land after another plane visually inspected the damaged aircraft. I gave A a pin check before the door openned, and the reserve ripcord was still in place when he landed (hard, but safely), so he likely rubbed against the top of the door and pulled the pins. The reserve is totalled, at least 6 panels are either ripped or in tatters. As an aside, A didn't know that his toggles were tacked down with string, so he didn't release them. This may be lucky, as the force of full flight on a mangled canopy might have been quite unfortunate. Morals: Always be careful climbing out and make sure you understand how your reserve is rigged. (Addendum: He didn't have a hook knife, so if he'd been caught on the tail, he have never gotten free. "Hook knives: They aren't just for CRW anymore") Hope this is informative and useful. Safety is something we can all work at. Blue Skies, Barry A-12269.