Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!maverick.ksu.ksu.edu!unmvax!nmt.edu!nraoaoc
From: nraoaoc@nmt.edu (Daniel Briggs)
Subject: When to push?  (Was Re: Near Accident...)
Message-ID: <1991Mar22.071136.13186@nmt.edu>
Reply-To: dbriggs@nrao.edu (Daniel Briggs)
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM
References: <8bt3JYm00V86NdvX4E@andrew.cmu.edu> <1085@wa4mei.UUCP> <1991Mar20.154908.16901@en.ecn.purdue.edu>
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 91 07:11:36 GMT

On to a slightly less sensitive topic....

In article <1085@wa4mei.UUCP> chrise@wa4mei.UUCP (Chris England) writes:
>I was witness to a similar "near accident".  A friend of mine and I were
>on the last load of the day, and planned on turning multiple points on a
>two-way.  I was following him out of the aircraft (c-182), when I noticed his 
>reserve pilot chut burbling slightly.  I reacted suddenly by shoving him
>off of the step, as he was unaware of what was behind him.  I would guess
>that when the reserve deployed, his head missed the elevator by about
>3 feet.  Now, as controversial as my actions may have been, the point
>is, pin checks always need to be administered.  

This sounds like it could be an interesting thread building.  As
students, we are always taught to go for the canopy, when something
has come loose.  Now, that is usually predicated on the assumption
that everyone is (a) still in the plane, and (b) the canopy has
already come loose.  We are also taught that if the canopy gets out of
the plane, to follow it out or cutaway immediately!  The situation
described here doesn't really fit any of those assumptions.  The
person was already in the wind stream, so if the canopy itself had
deployed, he was definitely going to leave.  I don't really have a
good feeling for what is meant by a 'burbling reserve pilot chute'.
(How could you see it?  The rig was a Racer, maybe?  A throwout
reserve??)  Anyway, no one has ever taught me to deliberately push a
jumper off the step.  (Since the only jump plane at my drop zone is a
Beech, I guess we wouldn't emphasize emergency procedures specific to
a Cessna, though.)  Chris could have gone for his buddie's backpack,
or he could have pushed him.  Are there any other reasonable actions
he could have taken?  Is pushing someone *ever* reasonable?  I sure
don't know.  (BTW, Chris, I sure couldn't have done any better, so I'm
not ragging on you!)  What does everyone else think?

As a side note, in a main canopy out the door situation, and a single
operation reserve system, do you think it's better to cut away and
hope you can contain the reserve, or should you gamble that you can
get out the door fast enough to avoid going out the window, instead?
-- 
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