Basejumper.com - archive

Date 27/12/16
Time 02:30
Canopy: OSP 265 UL
Exit Weight: 175lbs, wing loading 0.66 on European measurements
Container: Zak 2, hip articulation, no 3 ring
Exit type: Break cord attached primary to middle of bridle, backup to PC connection point. Slider off
Pilotchute: Snatch 46" but irrelevant really
Location: Clangers Planet
Object: Antenna
Temperature: -4C
Wind: 12-15mph
Other: Dry, clear night, no moon
Height: 130ft
LZ: Massive field, no hazards
# Base jumps: 125
Currency: 90+ in previous 10 months, all slider down. Second jump of the night, new object
Buddies: 2 buddies, 1 much more experienced than me, 1 about the same but hard to believe he only has that few

3 of us rocked up at this old WW2 big square antenna. We scouted the perimeter and LZ. The LZ was a large soft mud field. There was a perimeter fence that was close to the object in the downwind direction, and a platform on the object lasered at 150ft. Given the height, we discussed that we should prepare for a downwind landing and a muddy PLF, but altitude should allow at least a 90 to crosswind in either direction. We also noted that with the wind the recovery surge would be more pronounced than usual but at 150ft there should be plenty of height to recover from that. Access was the usual gate climb over barb wire and some notable further shenanigans to get us onto the ladder but this was achieved with no issues. In all it maybe took us an hour to get to the proposed exit platform.

The platform was large and sturdy but at the edge it had a thin sheet metal lip about 4 inches high which was not strong enough to stand on without it flattening. There was nothing to hold onto for exit. We did several walk arounds evaluating other possible exits and we noted an exit 20 ft below exiting into a 90 crosswind. We kitted up slowly and had lots of discussions on options. In all it was probably another 60 mins before we exited. I didn't like the prime exit and climbed down to the 130ft, it was lower but the fence was closer and there were off headin options in all directions. My 2 buddies jumped first from the 150ft platform and landed fine. I jumped last from the 130ft exit but didn't make it to the ground.

As I exited I looked up and started reaching for toggles and I could see the canopy bundle turning to the left as the lines paid out of the tail pocket. The canopy executed a 270 left before it hit line stretch, and then started to inflate. Before inflation completed it snagged on the antenna and my fall stopped dead. I swung into the antenna butt first, I saw this happening, knew that toggles were now useless and curled up ready for impact. I came in backwards as I was still mostly facing in the exit direction and my glutes took the impact which almost certainly saved me from worse injury.

I quickly found that I could stand on a horizontal beam and did an evaluation. 265ft of canopy above me, snagged but in a strong wind and I'm probably only 60-70ft off the ground. If the canopy comes loose I have a 265ft kite trying to take me off the antenna. This is probably an emergency services call so I'll be here a long time. I dug out some Dacron 600lb paracord that I keep in my pocket and lashed myself to the antenna, I'm an experienced climber and sailor so I know knots and used backstopped bowlines with double wraps around the beam to reduce movement and possible fraying. Still the kite is a concern. I fitted PD Reserve Slinks recently and I could reach the right side ones with one hand, and in a long laborious process I undid those 2. Now I only have a 265ft flag hanging from the left risers should it come free. Undoing the Slinks took maybe 20mins and in the middle I heard my buddies calling. It turns out they had been calling all the time as they saw the incident but I was so focussed on securing my position I had shutdown hearing things. This freaked them out a bit as they didn't know if I was alive.

After some conversation in which I convinced them I was uninjured and secured, they asked me to open my car. I carry a shed load of climbing gear in the car and they are both experienced climbers. Very carefully, and with very cold fingers, I found the remote in my pocket and opened the car. This took a few minutes as it was very important I didn't drop the key. Fortunately the key worked from that distance. In what I thought was minutes and certainly needed a superhuman effort one buddy was working his way out on a beam above me, and I was very pleased to see him and see him using harness, straps and crabs, via ferata style to ensure there was no risk to him (and so comply with the well worn mountaineering adage about the stupidity of a rescuer rushing, cutting corners and then either requiring rescuing themselves or dying).

He setup above me with my 50m rope, double strapped himself on and lowered the rope end for a top belay down. We discussed the still attached lines and I passed my knife telling to cut them. I passed the rope through my chest strap and clipped the crabby onto the right side hip ring. Where I could I climbed down to ease thing on him but the bottom half I was mostly lowered down, guiding myself using the structure. On the ground and buddy 2 wrapped me in a thick extra jacket. Buddy 1 climbed up and cleared the canopy choosing to wrap it and carry it down on his climb. He looped the rope over a horizontal, set up for the descent, confirmed the rope was long enough for a single run and rappelled down.

2 big fences to climb to get out but I'm in pain and so so cold, possibly hyperthermic but we dont have a thermometer. They rope me up, help me up, and lower me down both fences. Back in the car and I hurt too much to drive so buddy 1 drives. He tells me to get inside the sleeping bag I carry in the car, wet muddy boots and all, and sets the heater on roast. When we get there he is sweating profusely but I am still so cold I am not even shivering. I run a burny hot bath and lay in it, topping it up with hot until I start to sweat. This takes about 30 mins. I'm struggling to move and am woken many times in my sleep from pain, but make my way home the next day.

Essentially, with my hard impact, I bruised all my internal organs below my diaphram from them bouncing against the antenna or against my skeleton. I had all sorts of physiological results that I'm happy to talk about in PM but I won't bore the masses.

It was 6 weeks before I could move easily and I am still aware of muscular problems in my back 4 months later although they don't affect me any more.

The canopy has a hole about 2ft long that has damaged the top and bottom skins of the right end cell and the stabiliser. It is with Atair for repair.

What could have gone better:
- My biggest learning was that a cold body can seriously affect my ability to rationally assess risks which contributed to...
- Exiting into a strong crosswind
- Taking my lowest exit in sub-optimal conditions
- Not climbing down even though I wasn't happy with the main exit
- Weak push resulting in reduced distance from object
- Lashing my body to the antenna rather than lashin my harness to the antenna
- Not letting my buddies know I was OK as soon as I knew
- Having my car key on me rather than in an agreed place near the car
- Only wearing knee pads
- Carrying the canopy down after rescue rather than letting it fly and collecting it from the field
- The shit I will get for posting this

What helped:
- Lashing myself on and disconnecting the Slinks significantly reduced the chance of it suddenly turning fatal
- Knowing climbing and knot work and having a full set of climbing gear in the car
- Being with buddies who can climb and know how to use the gear for rescue
- Constant communication during the rescue so it was very clear what was happening to all
- No hesitation on cutting the lines
- Rescue buddy 1 having super human powers that might include flight, although he of course denies this
- Rescue buddy 1 using via ferata techniques to safely get to me
- Rescue buddy 2s understanding of cold management and treatment
- No emergency services or press bolx
- Great banter throughout with my buddies keeping my spirits up while shitting themselves almost as much as me

Packing observation:
After some analysis on my log book I realised I have been experiencing a 180 about every 30 jumps, that was my 4th. 3 of them are known to be turning before line stretch. Further thought and discussion came to the conclusion that my packing was the likely cause so I've changed it. I used to: after pulling the tail pocket to the lines ready to thin the bundle to container width, I would thin the bundle by folding the right side over the centre, and then the left side over the right side - this is how I was taught. I think this creates a situation where following the pins being pulled the tug on the bridle can kick that left side fold away initiating a canopy rotation as it leaves the container. I've changed my packing now so the I double fold the sides into but not past the centre, a symmetrical pack maximising the chance of a symmetrical extraction.

To my jump buddies on the night:
I am eternally in your debt, but still pleased you didn't inherit my gear ;p Seriously though, thanks for everything, in part I am here to tell this story because of your skill and composure.

What could have gone better?


Have a release system on your harness. Just saves at least 20 minutes.

Thanks for posting the detailed report, and nice job (to you and your buddies) getting down and off without further incident.


What was the shape of the object?

It seems odd that a 270 off heading resulted in an object strike on an antenna. I would expect a 270 to give you an opening clear of the object.


Given the conditions, (crosswind and static line) the expected opening is an off heading in the general downwind direction. I can't tell from your report, but I assume that this was the case? You report a 90 degree crosswind and a 270 degree off heading--does that mean the opening heading was in the downwind direction?

Did the other jumpers on the load also experience off headings?


My observation has been that the packing style you were using contributes to off headings during extraction and travel to line stretch, because the canopy's weight hangs assymetrically below the bridle. Keeping the folding symmetric within the pack tray has generally yielded much better opening heading in my experience.

how does the weight hang asymmetrical below bridle with this folding style?

No release system and no hook knife? Could have cut the slinks pretty quick.

True, but it adds extra complexity and risk, pros & cons. On balance I decided to go without rings as I do nearly no jumps near water.

Thanks Tom. My push was poor and the canopy hung up on the object before it finished inflation and before it started flying.

I had a hook nife but I could reach the right side Slinks and I wasn't in a huge hurry as I was already secured. We knifed the left side lines.

Have you actually tried this? I guess the feasibility of this plan highly depends on the hook knife you´re talking about. I know a case with highly experienced jumper where he tried to do exactly this with the standard issue plastic hook knife which comes along with more or less all rigs and failed miserably. The knife just didn´t "cut it" with the soft links and the blade actually broke off while trying. So if you´re counting on this as your plan C or D, better equip your rig with a heavy duty knife.

nice post. good job staying calm.

i jumped a freestander in a crosswind... once. i will never make that mistake again.

Interesting. Can you define "complexity" and "risk"?

There are others who can better describe, but with sewn in risers you cant have an accidental 3 ring release, you can have hidden ring damage/corrosion that cuts through risers, and you cant accidently cut yourself away on the exit point and only realise while climbing out and see your pud on the floor. All of these have happened. On the other hand you also can't cut away when you're hung up and jumping near water is a risk as you cant cut the sea anchor away.

Pro's and con's.

You can disable the three ring release by threading a 1/8" screw link through the white loop, and eliminate many of these concerns. Then you can remove the screw link on a jump where you may want to cut away (high likelihood of water landing, for example).

Tom would you post a pic of this?

I would be a little concerned about pinching the lolon cable or making burrs in the grommet, but I've never actually tested this in live action.

Thanks!

I met a man with over 17,000 jumps on 3-rings.

Him and I both think disabling them is silly.

I know a guy with less than 3000 jumps that had an unfortunate release of the three rings and another guy who didn't even had 300 jumps.
It's weird cause they weren't retarded or anything, just careless about checking his 3 rings this one time.

This is a good reason for most people to get fixed risers, I think the risk of screwing this up a single time is greater than the risk of getting fatally stuck somewhere or drowning in a river.
If you look at the BFL it's actually full of people who failed to avoid very obvious risk factors. Most people have no idea how much they suck at carefully remembering every single little detail involved with jumping off something.
If you stay in the sport a few more years greenmachine you may learn some day that you or one of your friends can indeed make stupid mistakes. Eliminate the 3 rings eliminates that risk.
I'm not fond of TomA's keyring mod either, I didn't understand it, but adding more small parts seems to just add more stuff that must be checked. Like what if the keyring rusts or what if you forget your actual keys and need to use one of the keys in your rig.

There are alternatives that can be released under load (ie hanging from a tree)

There is always the system that squirrel use.
2 yellow cables through each loop
The 2nd is inserted down the riser, in the opposite direction from the usual cable. .
The back up can easily be removed prior to jumping near water etc.
I am quite a fan of it.

RE: If you stay in the sport a few more years green machine...

We both have over a decade of fixed object jumping.

I have jumped at least three objects with Gary C.

I own 2 custom rigs with Integrated risers and was
just helping build 3 new rigs, all without 3-rings.

So I think you and I agree on everything except
how to address an unknown person on the web.

From: BASE 1366

I'm glad you said "use" and not "invented in a revolutionary manner #awesome!!!!!!!".

I hate adding extra or unnecessary metal components to gear. I would sooner use a soft link.

The quick link does nothing if the white loop breaks, which seems to me like the weakest link. I've heard of people tying the small ring to the middle ring with spectra before to prevent a release in the off chance the white loop snaps or the cutaway gets pulled. Although a simpler solution would be replace your risers (or white loop) before it wears and be meticulous with checking your gear for wear....

Normal gear maintenance (heck a normal gear check before exit) should be enough to be sure you have an intact white loop.

The quick link is for situations like a dislodged cutaway handle (while crawling through steel onto an exit or something), not to make the system stronger or eliminate the need for normal inspection, maintenance and gear checks.

If you want to eliminate inspection, maintenance and gear checks, my best advice is to try some other activities.

If you are worried about the white loop breaking, I'd just go with sewn in risers. You can also do something like use a large link to connect the rings to each other, but that kind of seems silly to me.

I agree. The only riser failures I've seen have been on work out skygear and it was the white loop that broken I've seen 2 in BASE that were halfway worn through (one was the black rings that got recalled)

The main worry I've heard from other jumpers about it was their white loop breaking. But I agree, do a gear check and you have basically nothing to worry about. I have two rigs with three rings and one with sewn in risers.

Yes, I do actually want to keep my inspections as simple and easy as possible to reduce possible errors, and yes I worried about the white loop breaking cause of possible negligence in my gearchecks. That's why I got integrated risers so I never have to trust my life to my ability to be the world champion of gearchecks.
Do I miss 3 rings when I jump close to white water rivers? No, cause I just avoid pulling near fast moving rivers or I just use one of my two knifes, the big one or the small one.