Basejumper.com - archive

ADDED: I posted this to try and gather a lot of object strike information in one thread and get some idea of what the real stats are like.



OK, so the rash of recently publicised object strikes made me wonder...

then I got carried away with the poll options and I kept going to see how many you can add...



READ HERE BEFORE VOTING IN THIS POLL, THANK YOU!:

1. only vote if you BASEjump or you are voting by proxy for a BASEjumper (post if you do this)

2. please post also and provide some background and experience (BASE, skydiving, training, etc.) about yourself

3. include in your post what options applied to you.

thanks


I'll even start us off...

I voted like this:

Options:
4: 307 BASEjumps (3 yrs), 735 skydives (5 yrs), 1 strike, jump no. 88

7: I turned a perfect on heading deployment into a wire strike, more skydiving experience would've helped, more training would've helped, better judgement would've helped

12: just check out the recent posts!

15: guy wire, the one that attaches to the A at 200ft

19: everything went well until I started flying the canopy stupidly

23: freefall for sure

25: luck bucket took a major hit that night

31: never got full flight again, but did get enough flare to stand it up

33: I certainly did.

34: I have. and I will again. conditions were great.

40: I do wear a helmet on some jumps.

41: no doubt in my mind

43: no doubt

48: no video

51: I'm still hoping...

52: doesn't yours?


Yes folks, I did a very dumb thing and if you have some time to kill here's the whole 9 yards:

I got used to jumping in fairly windy conditions and unstowing the brakes and whipping the canopy around a quick 180 to land nearer the base of the A where the nicer landing area and shorter walk is.

The winds were much lower than the previous few weeks. We went to an A that I had jumped 10 times before. I had 17 A jumps at that point.

I went stowed from a platform at 530ft on a 3 wire A. Did a 2 second delay. Had a perfect on-heading opening...

..which I immediately whipped around 180 degrees to make the nicer landing area, only to see an Antenna coming at me real fast.

At this point I knew I fucked up good and knowing it's the wire that attaches to the A at 200ft, I feared I was too low to recover from a stall or stall turn and went to the deepest brakes that I felt was just above stall point.

I was still moving forward and I got the really stupid notion that I could fly under the wire, through the inverted V between the wire and the A, close to the attachment on the A.

I almost made it through, when my left endcell (or maybe stabilizer) connected the wire.

I hauled on the brakes and swung way out in front of the canopy.

At this point the panic had stopped because I knew I was going to die and I was in that zen-like calm state, where you are almost just looking from outside yourself and reality, at what you are doing in this situation.

With a morbid curiousity, but no fear or concern for your own safety anymore, as that ship has sailed already.

Time had slowed right down for me and I finally buried the toggles to try and avoid getting hung up on the wire because I knew that could turn very bad.

This and the wire strike stalled the canopy and as it started collapsing it also dropped back off the wire.

Thank fuck I'm not riding the wire in!

Now past the stall point, I waited what seemed like forever for the canopy to drop off the wire completely and then started letting the toggles up very slowly and as little as I dared.

The canopy reinflated and started pressurizing and flying almost instantaneously (go Blackjack! - vents and valves rock!)

Sarah, who jumped first, is screaming something from below, but all I'm taking in is the sight of tower in front of me.

The canopy had turned to face the tower dead-on as it recovered and I now flew the canopy toggles WAY down, I backed it up until I felt I had room to turn (this felt like it was taking ages too and I fully expected to hit the ground or building below at any second).

Once I felt I had room to turn, I kept one toggle WAY down and let the other up slightly to affect a slow right hand turn. Just enough to get me pointed away from the tower and another strike (one a night is plenty, thank you very much).

Since the canopy dropped off the wire I had gone from knowing I was going to die, to thinking I was now going to hit the tower, then the building below me and finally my vehicle, as I started letting the toggles up super-gradually from the moment I had turned away from the tower.

I did this to get whatever flight I could out of the canopy before hitting the ground.

It wasn't much more than 30-40 ft off the ground when the canopy had recovered what felt like flight (instead of plummet) and boy did it feel too damn low!

I got to about 60% of full flight when I flared and took a downwinder about 40 ft from the tower, but stood it up.

Finally standing on the ground I could not believe that a person could be as stupid as I just was and not even get a scratch on them.

I knew I had just gotten exceptionally lucky.

After discussing this with my mentor in detail I finally realised what he meant when he said:

'Assess, assess, assess.'


Often when I climb that tower (I have just over 50 jumps from it now) I look at the wire I hit and the whole surreal experience replays itself in my mind.

Don't be like me, be smart, know what height you can still have your canopy in a stall and recover.

Think about the conditions.

and 'Assess, assess, assess.'

PS - My Blackjack got one tiny little hole in the stabiliser. I inspected it twice, had two riggers inspect it and after getting the all OK and sticking a little ripstop patch on, I jumped her again the next night, off the same tower.

She's since been back to Marty for a full inspection and new lower brakelines and got the all OK once again.


PPS - Wire strikes are like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get!

I'm somewhat experienced (though I have tons still to learn about jumping different objects, tons to learn about jumping different rigging configurations and have no terminal BASE jumps). Anyway I have 81 total BASE jumps to date in a little under 2 years in the sport. 20 Moab Cliffs jumps off 5 different exit points, 2 jumps from the local cliff, 1 Building (scariest but also one of the most satisfying jumps to date), 2 Antennas (one being my lowest freefall), 3 at the local span (lowest jumps to date) and the rest in Twin.

I have never had anything more than a 90 (knock on wood) and the vast majority of them are on heading. Then again I'm a chicken shit as I'm one of those flat and stable guys and no way should be confused as a cool jumper. But that's okay. I know why I occasionally BASE jump and know why I'm not big on the types of jumps requiring some form of trespassing. I'm comfortable with my current stature in the sport and the canopy ride (both BASE as well as swooping) is my passion in the jumping world. I do freefall for shits and giggles.

Good luck with your poll. But I really don't know what you're trying to accomplish other than maybe trying to show those with the "it won't happen to me" attitude that it can actually happen to them.

I'm an inexperienced little bitch, I nearly died twice, and the only way I can avoid a third time is to quit jumping.

Currenty looking for a twelve step program.

Now now Jaap ... you're a cat (9 lives) and not a baseball player (3 strikes and you're out). Plus if you're inexperienced, then I guess I need to change my somewhat experienced to inexperienced since you know more about BASE than I do.

Dude, you have waaaaaaaaay too much time on your hands.

 I voted 5, no strike, low experience. 3 S's, started this winter, 860 skydives, started almost 4yrs ago, 1h10 wind tunnel, 100+ paraglider flights (uncurrent, was long long time ago, whan paragliders looked like BASE canopies). Didn't have a strike... yet... I know it can happen, maybe not, but most likely if I continue jumping long enough.

I voted I'm an inexperienced BASE Jumper, I have not had an object strike.
I have 40 BASE Jumps. My worst opening (heading wise) was maybe 20° so far.

I also voted I have not had a strike but I know it's just a matter of time.
I live in Switzerland and our objects are mainly cliffs. And I think it's an illusion if someone thinks he will never have an off heading.
I thought that you can avoid off headings with neat packing and good body position until I saw Tom M. with a perfectly packed Rig, perfect Body position, 1.5 s slider down have a full 180° off the S in TF.

I voted "Other".

I have 190+ BASE, from 40 objects:
-- i've not have an object strike.
-- 6 or 7 times i had 180s (on antennas, smokestacks and cliffs), but the really scary things happened then i had less than 120:
-- i had about 90 degrees offheading but on a low cliff at night and that was not so easy to avoid it, i guess the vents and and proper brake setting helped. That happend on my 70th jump.
-- another 90 degrees happened then i had about 150 jumps on a terminal wall that was positive. I'm still wondering how did i avoid the strike. I guess that my canopy, my brake setting and luck helped.
-- one canopy strike on slider-off jump on jump #120
-- one body strike (in freefall) some 20 or 30 jumps later.


Speaking about offheadings -- for me it's easy to predict one or to figure out what caused the offheading (i speak about my jumps only). The #1 in my own "Why this happened?" is body position.

800+ jumps Zero object strikes. I Will most likley never have an object strike cause I'm retired

Maybe you should quantify what you mean by the various levels of experience.

Some more options that you might add, since you don't have enough:

a) Shallow brakes suck! Shallow brakes contributed to my strike.
b) Other: I struck a different kind of object


I know about 10 people who've struck dams. And shallow brakes have definitely contributed to more than a few strikes.

30 jumps (inexperienced)

No strikes, no near strikes, I may never have a strike and then again it is definitely a possibility.

I would prefer not to have one!

Hmmm... am I the only one that has had an object strike in freefall and lived to tell about it?
I'm sure there's someone else out there, I just haven't heard the story.
There's no option for this in the poll.

Yes, I know of at least one: a freefall wire strike in the Eastern US.

Hello

I have around 340 Base Jumps , slider up, slider down , different objects , and so far I've never had a 180 , probably the most I've had is a 90° . Guess I'm lucky.
But I had a canopy entangle with another jumper on freefall I was lucky to walk out of that unhurt.

I hope never to have a 180 but If I do I feel confident that I'll know what to do (scream and freeze) he he

GAbo

Yo !

I've never had an object strike (nor any injury or bust) in 1100+ jumps off 180+ objects.

I had a freefall/canopy collision around jump #35 on a poorly planned 3-way.

I've had hundreds of off-heading openings, at least 100+ of which were 180s. I do not consider them a problem but merely a nuisance (when altitude to reach LZ is tight).

I prefer to plan my jumps in such a way where opening direction is not important. That fully applies to non-wingsuit jumps, too.

bsbd!

Yuri.

103 jumps, just the one object strike at jump number ~95. The linked post, I think, pretty much lays out my answers to the above.

Sam u have way to much time on your hands.
THERES NO SUCH THING AS AN OBJECT STRIKE ITS ALL YOUR HEAD your crazy.

but mine was on jump # 174 im not sure when the next will be. ill check my horoscope.

Tom

Unless I get magically greenified I can’t change the poll options, so it’s pretty much up to you. (thanks for numbering them, by the way)

I did not want to quantify experience because it’s so subjective, but if you can come up with more useful options for experience, or you want to quantify the ones I have, please feel free to do so.

Maybe we can have a poll on how to quantify experience for this poll?

As for the suggested added options, those look good, please add them and any others you’d like, or anyone else suggests.

Add a freefall object strike and survive option too for Russell etc.

What would be really cool is if you could get the text in the results cells to go more than one line vertically to make it more readable.




Dexter – it was raining and I opted to not jump in the rain (again), so yes, I had way too much time on my hands.

Thanks
Sam

Voted option 5.

11 jumps from 2 objects.

8 slider down...max 2 sec delay....mostly fine...one there was an off heading between 90 and 180 to the right. Maybe a packing error mixed with assymetric body position....the video shows the left side of the canopy inflate first and fly off to the right.

3 terminal.......half a line twist on the first one. Rest were fine.

Kris.

WHO ARE THE CRACKHEADS WHO HAVE VOTED OPTION 8???

I can't believe there's 7 (at the moment) people out there who do not think that they could have avoided their object strike.

It's always avoidable, in the simplest form by only jumping in favourable conditions with properly set up gear and a suitable skillset, in the most extreme form by avoiding any jump where there is a chance that you could strike the object even if you do everything else right.

Know theres some good numbers..... When's your next class???


Your a Big dady now....trust me raising kids... You'll have a object strike...but it will be dry wall.. LOL

Later Chris

if any activity demands we all take responsibility for ourselves, it is BASE. just because someone with 1000+ jumps says you're good to go doesn't make it so. everyone must make their own call. and if you make the call, how can you NOT be responsible?

The only way to guarantee that you will not strike the object is not to jump.

dude!

check out this quote:


from this post by some guy named Tom something or other

you may want to argue this with him, but then again, maybe not...

I placed my vote in the "Experienced jumper who has not had an object strike" category.

I have 598 BASE jumps from 71 objects. Statistically, the most dangerous objects that I routinely jump are in Moab, of which I have 168 jumps from 34 objects in that area.

I have not had an object strike yet, although I have come close on 4 occasions.

Sorry for the short reply....I'm on a BASE road trip right now!

Bryan

Now we need to define object strike. If your canopy touches the object and you don't, is it a strike?

If so, I need to change how I voted.

My canopy touched a cliff wall on jump 16, but I didn't, and I flew away from the incident. I've never really considered it a real object strike. Should I?

Lou

I think here's another jumper who needs to know that..;. Never considered my jump #70 as cliff strike but others did.... The same shit happened.

JESUS.


I wont BASE for months... but i might get one then. no strike after 130BASE jumps. mainly cliffs.

Well, if you hit a cliff and get stuck on it - that is as much of a cliff strike as one can get

bsbd!

Yuri.

I hit a wall in Moab last October (the day before my 1 year BASE aniversary). I had 261 jumps, most slider down and all but 2 lower than 600ft. I was wearing a t-shirt, sneakers, and no helmet.
I don't know if I could have avoided hitting the cliff, but I know I hit it 1.3 seconds after line-stretch (I checked the video). I ended up stuck on the talus and was rescued by the jumpers there. I had been jumping in Moab for 3 weeks prior 1 or 2 jumps a day.

In my opinion, the only thing I could have done to avoid my cliff-strike was not jump.

3 weeks to the day after my cliff strike I was jumping the ITW. And my new favorite place to open is 1 mile away from the cliff.

Dug up and looked at the video...it was between 30 degrees and 45 degrees off heading...guess I was too excited about nothing .

Kris.

Hello,

here is the info to my object strike:
The cliff strike happend at the waterfall (exit #1) in the famous swiss valley. For all that don't know it: it has a huge overhung which should avoid almost all strikes. The strike was my fault, because I pulled ca. 2 sec. later than I should have done to have
the canopy open at the best overhung. The position at opening felt quite stable.
The harness is a little bit too big (even though is was made to fit me). This is why I sometimes get the riser in my face. It was the same in this jump. While opening the riser hit me. But this time my glasses fell down because of that. I even managed to catch them but after looking up I saw that I had two line twists and the canopy was heading
to the wall. I immediately threw the glasses away and thought that I will never get out of the line twist before hitting the wall. Thinking about how to solve this cost me 1-2 valuable seconds. While getting out of the line twists I hit the wall at least two times. From all I know I kicked away from the wall with both foots and the V-Tec of my FOX 265 definetely safed my ass in this situation. Somehow I got it managed to get away from the wall (probably by stalling the canopy away) and landed safely. The jump only resulted in a headache and my own basic
questions about my future in BASE jumping.
I think there are many exits where it is only a matter of time, when you get a cliff-strike. I will not do that kind of jumps anymore. Maybe only direct bag jumps when I really need an on-heading opening, because I think with that there is only a very low risk to get an off-heading and another strike again. But thats only my personal point of view. I hopefully don't find an excuse for that and change my mind ;-).

Cheers,

#928

i hit a guy wire while clearing a 180 off an 3 wired A,i only hit by my feets and walked away whith out a scratch.no tangle ment or what ever.It were on a jump testing my dbs i guess they wasnt set as as surpossed

at that point i had 700ish skydives,250 BASEjumps

baa cant rember too much to vote on and too many answeres..

I voted inexperienced with no object strikes.
17 jumps. All Spans but 1 A and 1 E. So far so good.

I have a question.

32 people voted "I freefalled the object that I had a strike on."

Only 2 people voted "I did not freefall the object that I had a strike on."

Is this because you are less likely to have an off heading opening with a PCA or SL? Or is it just because most jumps are freefall?

i would say both..
Most people freefall which will give a higher ratio of offheadings to this poll that said i also think its more likely that you get an offheading from a freefall than a SL or PCA,however on SL and PCA´s your closer to the object and to the ground therefore IF you get an offheadding on either of thouse you need to react fast or prepare to get hurt/or atleast bruised up..

Just my thourght