Quote:
Originally Posted by express705
so blake what was your experience?
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my only malfunction to date was on my 12th jump (second ever solo jump). i had what's referred to as a 'lineover malfunction'. basically, one of the lines that attaches to the canopy got twisted over the top of the canopy on opening and collapses part of the canopy. depends on where the malfunction occurs on the canopy and if it's really twisted up good on what happens next. sometimes they clear, sometimes they don't. on mine, i had a doozy. immediately on opening, i felt something wrong, look up, and half my canopy was snarled up and collapsed. i tried a couple corrective actions, but it sent me into a pretty nasty, high G flat spin. we're trained to try no more than a couple corrective actions before cutting away...and that's what i did. my adrenaline level was kicking pretty high at that point, but the reserve did it's job and i made a perfect, on target landing after that. the main canopy was indeed torn up pretty bad when they found it in the woods. they had to reline and patch a rip surely caused from the pressure of spinning so hard. i've flown a pitts special and didn't experience close to the G's that i felt in that.
this is what it looks like on the canopy
this is similar to what i experienced under canopy (the solid white chute is the reserve after she cut away)
i've met guys that have gone thousands of jumps without a malfunction...i just got lucky to have mine on #12.
i was so excited after it happened that i wanted to go again right away.