Unintentional riser-release - Read!

obi · June 30th, 2002, 09:57 PM

I just spoke to a very good friend of mine that I wanted to meet today for jumping together. He is in the hospital after he experienced a 1-riser-release at terminal over hard ground. He told me that he was super-lucky to get away with only 2 smashed legs.
He was jumping good & proper base-equipment I rate among the best on the market. He already had done about 80 jumps with it and told me that he is sure to have checked the yellow cable and 3-ring setup. I know him to be very careful about his equipment.
Since I don't want to spread any rumors or half-wisdoms I will not post any further info right now - actually I don't have any myself yet. I just post this to warn you about the possibility of a malfunction. This is the second incident like that I know of and I think it's fu(king scary (although I know that the 3-ring-system usually works).
The gear will be checked (especially the length of the cable), the video will be reviewed and my friend and hopefully the manufacturer will post further info.
Take care, Obi

imported_Tom Aiello · June 30th, 2002, 11:54 PM

Is the second incident you reference the one in Twin Falls last year? Or does that make three total?

Somehow I hear Space in my head saying, "Fooled me once, shame on you. Fooled me twice, shame on me."

We need to figure out what's going on with these releases. Who is reviewing the gear? And do we know if the folks looking it over got the gear fresh from the accident?

If the gear was the same model as the gear in the previous incident, it might be time for a general recall, in my opinion.

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@mac.com

obi · July 1st, 2002, 12:34 AM

I was referring to the one that was discussed here on the board last year, the one Motorjoe had. Since I don't know him personally and as far as I know the model he used wasn't named, I can't tell if it was the same rig-model.
I really don't know more at the moment and since I will not have the opportunity to look over the gear (his friends took it home and that's pretty far away) we'll have to wait a little bit.
Obi

guest · July 1st, 2002, 06:36 AM

>If the gear was the same model as the gear in
>the previous incident, it might be time for a
>general recall, in my opinion.
>
>--Tom Aiello
>tbaiello@mac.com

Although I don't speak for BR anymore, at the time, I was involved in trying to figure out Motor Joe's incident.

We received the rig and checked it over every which way from Sunday and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

In talking with M.J. he told me he had two releases on consecutive jumps. After the first one, he reassembled the rig and jumped again, and again had another release. I found M.J. a likable sort, but the above shows a certain amount of carelessness on his part in that most folks who couldn’t figure out why the first release occurred would hardly jump the rig again, I wouldn’t anyway.

We resolved the problem by removing M.J.’s Three Ring assembly, with his consent, and replaced them with L-bars.

Yes, we basically dumbed-down the rig. And that bothered us to the extent that there isn't anything simpler than a Velcro closed BASE rig.The perspective here, as unappealing as it is, is as BASE becomes more mainstream, the same problems that occur at the Drop Zone creep into BASE jumping. It is my belief this incident was nothing more than jumper error.

I believe BR previously posted the results of all this here many months ago. If anyone is still concerned, pick up a phone and call BR at (909) 940-1324.

Nick
BASE 194

guest · July 1st, 2002, 08:10 AM

After all that happened last year I noticed that when load was put on my BR risers the cabling comes only about half way in the channel. I've got 105 jumps on the risers and I'm still here so I guess it isn't a problem :) Is that normal?