2nd Tandem reserve in 7 days
First was simple …. Tension knots on right side wont clear fly’s straight but folds under and dives when flared. fly to runway cutaway at 3000 nice landing main landing area everything retrieved in 30 minutes.
Second.. Today… Drogue in toe…. pull main drogue release at 4500 wont extract secondary at 4000 wont extract pull reserve at 3500 wont extract… regroup!!!!!! look oh SHIT Cable housing not reserve handle FUCKING idiot… Reserve handle pulled and cleared 2500….. POP…. Cypres fire saddled out under reserve between 쇀 and 1450. ….. land off main runway 100 yards…
See pics of complete cutaway sequence from first and both uncut reserve closing loops of second… Both closing loops are frayed on the top edge slightly possibly from the cutters??? Both reserve loops were installed new by me 2 days prior when assembling tandem rig for service. I always said I would stop jumping if cypres saved my life…I sure think this was too close….
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How did you manage to get the drogue in your toe?
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Drogue 3 ring double loop was thru the second ring. I stood on both the primary and secondary release handles and could not extract either… Yes I missed it in my pre flight…… I pulled the drogue 3 ring up and called myself looking at it as I do before putting every rig on but I was complacent like looking at your watch then realizing you did not even read the time…..
The rig was a Strong dual hawk
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I was taught that when we are checking something that we do regularly like a 3-ring or a pin check that it helps to touch it by placing a finger on it. This focuses the attention clearly at what you are doing and takes no longer to check than normal.
As you said its like looking at the watch. Glad your okay. Hope this helps prevent the same thing happening to someone else.
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I caught one of these by chance 2 min before exit, student had asked what it was and why i pulled his cables(seating them) and noticed it was through the middle ring.
Had wondered if it would have caused a mal or not, now I know.
Quick go around and re-route and went without incident.
Thanks for sharing.
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I catch myself doing that, especially toward the end of a long day. I’ve closed the flaps then think ‘I didn’t even “look” at that.’ Start over and concentrate what I’m inspecting. I’ve found a misrouted three ring a time or two.
Also, I don’t like going as low as 4,500′, especially considering a slow opening can go 1000′. Everyone on my DZ pulls betweenŅ,500 and 6k.
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Huh – so the loop was through the second ring only or ring 1 and 2? I’ve seen a tandem hop & pop I suspect was caused by the same thing…
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Second ring only… as I look back I checked the cable side to insure 1 and 1 thru each loop but never looked at the front side….I could not budge either drogue release. The pull force must be 200+ pounds because I stood on them both.
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