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# 100 happened on my hometown (Marilia- SP), in Brazil, last sunday, 3 PM local time, while Brazil soccer team was playing at the wolrd cup....

It is a 225ft A, no wires, exiting from the top, nice platform, landing area bigger than TF.
They were 3, first 2 guys jumpers had a PCA from Mario (#100).
The wind was 5 mph, on a 45 degrees angle from back left to front right.
Then he climbed out, did the attachment for the static line (when he was out of the A).He used a knot 1 ft away the end of the bridle to set the break cord.
After this, he checked if the bridle was clear (not grabbing any structure or himself) turned around, and waited for a gust.
The pilot chute was inflating between his legs, and he started to grab it with his right leg, then, he didn´t note he enlaced the bridle on his leg......
He jumped.... and as soon as he left the A, he felt the bridle pulling his leg, and started to kick it trying to clear the bridle, (tryed 2 times before the brek cord rupted).
After this, the bridle opened his pin (Prism container) and the canopy started to be out of his back, the break cord rupted, and he did a rotaion. At this point, he was sit flying, with his canopy on his chest, and the pilot chute pulling his right leg.
So, he started to fly on his back grabbing the canopy (dagger 222) with his hand and tryed another 2 times to clear the bridle on the right leg.
Then he went to a sit fly again, checking the altitude (he was conscious all the time about what was happening, and was fighting against it).
Then he saw he was too low for anything.......

Everything took 3.6 seconds to happen.
He was 23 years old, it was his 21st jump, first static line, I took him to that A 3 weeks before, he jumped PCA, I didn´t, my knee is all fucked up (skydiving heheheheh). He had another 10 jumps free falling our 225ft bridge close to Rio de Janeiro.
He was very familiar with climbing gear, he did a lot of praticing on rope swing before started to b.a.s.e. jump.

I saw the video 30 times or more to write this, and this hurts, believe me. There were 2 different videos and they are destroyed by now. He impacted 10ft from the camera.

What I learned? THINK ON THE EDGE.....during free fall can be too late.

Like Mario usually says: "The risks I take, are the price for my hapiness!"


See you all.
Andre. # 1063

Thanks for that write up. It's not an easy task.

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. The conclusion is an all too common one. Mental and physical preperation will eliminate a large portion if injuries and deaths.

R.I.P. Mario

Sorry to hear Andre. Thanks for the info.

Tony

Rest in Peace Mario.

Thanks Andre for enduring the task for the betterment of us all.......

I was so relieved when Iparanga called you for me the other morning.
Alan

Sorry for your loss...

thanks for the thoughtful write-up.

Thanks for the information & learnings.

Condolences to everyone involved, family, friends, and yourself.

Keep your chin up.

Hello,
Baloney!
Think at home!
Know on the edge.

23 years old
21st jump
first static line

What a waste.


praticing on rope swing before started to b.a.s.e. jump.

Oh really, practicing what, how to die?


Stupidity is killing young BASE jumpers.
Complacency is killing old ones.
Which group are you in?



It's the internet, I can say whatever I want.
Avery

Thanks alot for the informative post on what happened. That detailed kind of information helps us all and I know everyone appreciates it. It sucks ass that it happens though.

After recently loosing a close friend (Shannon), I know how hard it is and it makes you think even more when it's that close to home.

Stay strong bro, and be sure to dedicate one of your next few jumps to him. It really helps.

957

Condolences to family, friends, and yourself from FastPete, from Finland.

Was the excess bridle s-folded and stowed in a bungy?

Hi,

Look at Avery's Reply !

What a Shame !

Stay Safe !

Thank You,
Gerald Harendza
BASE # 75
New York

Hello,
Thank you!
That's how living static-liners do it.
Reading the report, it does not sound like it was done so.

Who is teaching?
Who is teaching the teachers?
You kids better wake up, before you wake up dead.

For starters.

Secondly, one learns early on that you turn back the way you came when you climb over a railing. You only need to have done one PCA to understand why this makes sense. Finally, once you're in position to jump you reach back to your lower pin and feel along the entire bridle to your pilot chute and tie-in point to make sure your bridle is well clear and routed properly.

It's not rocket science.

Hey Andre

It is a terrible tragedy and I am saddened to hear of the circumstances. I have a few questions which hopefully you might be able to answer.

1. Why did Mario climb out first then turn to tie off? Was this necessary or could he have prepared the break cord and anchor point first and THEN move into position on the exit point. The reason i ask is that preparing your break cord, anchor point and checking the integrity is so much easier and safer to do when you're not in the stress situation of being directly on the edge.

2. Did mario tie off to an intermediate anchor point, like a sling or piece of rope OR did he tie the break cord directly onto the metalwork of the A? Was it a rounded railing or was it angled metalwork?

3. Did Mario use a main loop of breakcord and a backup loop?

4. Did he use a single strand or did he loop the breakcord.

5. As skeamer asked, did he s fold the excess bridle and control it with a bungee.

6. Was he waiting for a gust, or was he waiting for a lull?

I'm sorry to bombard you with questions, but my intention is to see if there are other secondary or even contributary issues which could be highlighted in this terrible fatality.

Static lining is a whole new skill set and can be stressful due to the lower altitudes at which you are often considering jumping from.

ian

If looking for a common denominator in the three static line fatalities on the List - I think it is being alone . . .

They weren’t alone on the load they were on, but they were the last to launch. I’m pretty sure this is true of the first one, a British fatality off a low bridge in 1987, and I know for sure it was the case with the second one few days before Christmas in 1995. And it sounds as if this is the case in the latest one.

Don’t let the fact there have been only three confirmed static line fatalities fool you as there have been dozens of close calls. The Brits (the kings of static line BASE jumping in the early days) had more than a few saves by virtue of high speed mud and water and dozens of others (not just Brits) have experienced damaged canopies and funky openings.

In any case the first static line death was probably inexperience, the second was bad judgment, and this last one is - I don’t know – But I do know someone standing behind him on the tower could have easily said, “Hey dude, watch it - you got the bridle in front of you . . .”

Static line is a funny thing. I’ve seen canopies across the board damaged unbelievably with several cells blow out of the top skins to less serious cases of separated ribs, and we never seem to find out why. I've seen 600 lb bar tacks completly blown out -so where is that force coming from? Jumpers usually report a normal launch but then a harder than normal opening. Did the bridle catch on something and load up prior to the break cord? We never seem to find the answers to those questions. The other thing to understand is how “static” and “dynamic” loads effect 80-pound break cord. If you take a single strand of 80 pound break cord and slowly and carefully hang 80 pounds on it (static load) it will hold it. If you take a five to seven pound weight, attach it to a similar single strand of break cord and “toss” the weight into the air so it loads the break cord while moving (dynamic loading) the break cord will fail.

This is especially worrisome as the peeling force on a Velcro rig can be as high as 7 pounds. So many jumpers use a double length of break cord which effectively gives you double the strength and bit less where the knot is. The best method seems to be the “double double.” You use two separate and independant (double length) break cord loops and the first loads up prior to the second and opens the container and pulls out the canopy. Then the second one breaks. This essentially gives you two chances to get a canopy if either of the break cords fail for any reason.

However, what ever advantage is gained by that type of static line rigging is lost if the bridle is fouled in any way.

NickD
BASE 194

No, it was flying around, that was the problem.

There we go....

1- I agree, heh didn't need to set up outside the A.

2- directly onto the metalwork, it was a rounded railing.

3- just a main, it worked as it should.

4- he looped.

5- No, that's the cause.

6- Sorry for my english, he was waiting for low winds....

Andre.

Thank you Andres

It seems there are several lessons that are reinforced by Marios accident. Firstly, unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. tie off point is not accessible before climbing out to the exit point), prepare, check, double check and get a buddy to triple check all your knots, routing and security of the anchor point BEFORE you climb over the rail or climb out to the exit point. This is especially important as the majority of the time, the last person to exit is usually the static liner, as they are responsible for PCA'ing all previous jumpers. By tying off beforehand at least you can have a second pair of eyes to check out the config. This however is not always possible due to space restrictions at the exit point.

Use a backup breakcord loop of longer length than the first. If the first breaks prematurely at least you have a second chance to get the canopy out.

Protect your breakcord. Do not allow your breakcord to be compromised by the rough surfaces you tie off to, friction by excessive movement on the exit point, by standing on it with your hanwags as you climb over the rail (i've done this personally) or by any form of premature loading.

Manage your anchor point, pilot chute and bridle at all costs by; stowing all excess bridle that is not required in facilitating your climb out, using a tailgate bungee; by continually ensuring a direct and uninterrupted routing between pins/shrivel flap and tie off point, by carefully considering how the wind is going to affect the pilot chute and bridle as you wait to exit; by carefully planning how you are going to climb into position without entangling your bridle or any ropes/slings you are using.

Always check, and double check AFTER you have climbed over the rail or moved into position that the bridle and breakcord have not been compromised in any way and that you have not wrapped any part of yourself around the bridle during climbover.

I know Mario did many of these checks and ultimately he fouled the system possibly as he/or just before he launched, but i think they are all points worth reiterating, especially the point about managing and controlling all the components in the system.

Nick, what do you think about using pins vs. velcro for SL jumps? Your thoughts about dynamic loading and occasional canopy damage/close calls got me thinking that the pin rigs may have higher black death factor than the velcro rigs and thus should be avoided on SL jumps.

Here is why. When pilot chute opens the container (pin or velcro), there's some snatch force in the first milliseconds followed by the weaker, but quickly increasing force of PC drag. If for some reason snatch force was not strong enough to open the container, the increasing PC drag provides the backup. There is no strict geometrical restriction on where in space the opening must take place (except, the ground is the limit ). The container opening may coincide with the snatch force or may be delayed by a fraction of a second.

Static line has completely different timing. At the end of 9ft. bridle, you're falling at a speed of 24ft/s = 7.3m/s. Extracting 1/2-inch (half-primed) pin at this speed takes 2 milliseconds. If the pin did not pop within this 0.002s window, something must break from the huge dynamic force and that's the weakest link - the break cord. This maximum force can be estimated using formula F = ma: for something slowing down from 7.3m/s to 0 in 0.002s, a = 7.3/0.002 = 3650m/s^2, or 370G's! So to develop 80lb. dynamic force, only m = F/a = 80*0.454*9.8/3650 = 0.1kg = 3.5oz. weight needs to be stopped from 7.3m/s in 2ms. That is, the weight of the flaps/top surface of the container is enough to break the cord if the pin was somehow snagged.

There is at least one known case in skydiving when the pin punctured the bridle and caused PC in tow.

On the other hand, velcro distributes the force over much longer time. If the flap is 1ft. long, it takes 40ms to peel it. That’s 20X less dynamic force! 20X less chance for black death.

Given these arguments, do you think it’s reasonable to recommend to NOT use pin rigs on static line jumps?

Yuri

Sadly, all the math they taught me went up and down, but I get what you're saying. I was thinking more about break cord issues rather than pin vs. Velcro, however there's a lot of S/L pin jumping going on around my parts. If I had to decide on one or the other - I'd say I'm not a static line fan to begin with and I miss out on the fun sometimes, but that's cool.

NickD
BASE 194

You've made some outer extremity of bell curve assumptions here.

You are saying that a s/l hook up is 20 x more likely on a pin rig?

A pin rig will fail if:
- the closing loop tension is far too high. This can be caused by:
- mismatch between canopy and container volumes (i.e. big canopy in small container).
- poor packing (messy, uneven distribution of materials, etc).
- an exaggerated de-arched body position on exit / deployment.
- etc.
- An unstable body position could theoretically cause bridle / pin entanglement.
- Packing error (pin / bridle entanglement, directional placement of pins, etc).

Many people adjust gear configs for s/l pin rig jumps as follows:
- ensure gear compatability
- prime the pins
- curve the pins up and towards the most likely pull direction
- have velcro tabs for the bridle to run away from the pins (so it does not flap around them)
- open the flap
- etc


Here is the important bit.

Pin rigs are fine - IF THEY ARE USED CORRECTLY. That is why gear knowledge is a very important aspect of BASE jumping. But since so many people do not believe this, your statement about veclro rigs only becomes a little more valid. One of the major reasons for the introduction of velcro is simplicity and reduced variation (cf pins and forces). Variation is a killer. And if you do not know what you are dying it becomes a higher probability killer.

wrt the above incident, if you don't check your gear properly before climbout, during climbout, after climbout / before exit, it does not matter whether you have pins or not.

Remember skydiving = pin check prior to donnig your gear, pin check on jump run, protect your handles, blah blah blah. THIS IS ALL RELEVANT.

And on a windy day (when you shouldn't really be jumping ), the chance of gear entanglement becomes greater and your ability to inspect and control it at the exit point becomes less.

math is only half the jump the rest is. Is my head clear enough to jump, am i relaxed enough to make have good judgement. sometimes I get all jacked up. so i walk away from the edge and wait till im ready, and thats the only time I jump. even when my friends are calling me a pussy. I wait till im ready. evryone of u jumps with video cameras because u think this is a show. who are u jumping for, and why. i jump for me I dont need video to show people that im cool. I know who i am. and what i do Do u
SORRY about your friend my he RIP