What to do in Total Chute Malfunctions

Generally, packs are packed with great attention to detail paid to them and with complete inspection of all equipment and devices. But there’s no doubt that sometimes things don’t go the way they should and you could find yourself in a very dangerous situation. The most dangerous thing that could happen while skydiving is that you have some sort of chute malfunction. While some of these are minor and can be easily fixed, some are considered total chute malfunctions and therefore, it may seem as though there is nothing that can be done. If a skydiver jumps from an aircraft and upon deployment finds that he has a total chute malfunction, it will appear as though he is only free-falling, because nothing will happen. However, because the skydiver is free-falling, it will all happen very fast and so, if this happens you need to know what to do beforehand so you don’t waste precious time thinking about it. Here are the main causes of total chute malfunctions and how you can prevent them, or fix them when they happen.

Having a hard pull is one of the most common total chute malfunctions. This is when you pull on the pilot chute but it doesn’t come out of its container. This can happen for a few reasons but whatever the case, your chute doesn’t even come out. If this happens, pull one more time on the pilot chute handle but only a little more firmly. If it still won’t come out of the container, forget about the pilot chute and try the reserve. You can avoid the problems of hard pulls when you pack the pack by making sure that everything will come out easily and works as it’s meant to.

The other common reason for total chute malfunctions is when the pilot chute is missing its handle. This causes a problem because without the handle, you can’t get the pilot chute out of its container. If this happens, feel with your hands down to the corner of the container and find the pilot chute yourself. Then manually pull it out. This problem can be prevented by making sure before you exit the aircraft that your pack has not become snagged on any seat belts, door jams, or anything else. Always, always inspect your equipment before the jump and never leave the aircraft if part of your equipment is questionable.

What to do when Your Chute Malfunctions

It’s every skydiver’s worst nightmares and it’s one reason why many people don’t feel brave enough to ever try the exhilerating sport of skydiving - the main parachute has malfunctioned. So what do you do? Well, while you’re in the air is no time to be thinking of strategies so here are the very basics of what to do when something’s gone wrong with your chute.

Don’t panic. Yes, it’s frightening but remember that you still have some options. Panicking will only make you forget emergency procedures and could lead to disaster.

Know your altitude. Many emergency procedures depend on the altitude you are at, as different altitudes require different procedures. A small problem could be made into a major one if you forget you don’t know your altitude and therefore, don’t know which procedure to use.

Only cut-away if you’re above 1,000 feet. For almost every parachute malfunction, it’s recommended that you cut away the main chute and use your reserve. However, if you are under 1,000 feet you will hit the ground before your reserve has time to inflate. Still open the reserve chute but keep the main canopy open just to be safe.

Understanding your Canopy

There’s no doubt that when you’re in the air, your canopy is the most important piece of equipment you have. It’s what allows you to enjoy a scenic glide to the ground, instead of crashing towards it at alarming speeds. So before you strap on your pack, you really should take the time to fully understand your canopy.

The chute you will be flying with is most likely a canopy, a rectangular-shaped chute made from cells of inflated air. These are huge improvements on the balloon-style chutes that were first used in the sport. The canopy uses an angle of incidence, which is built right into the canopy and consists of two lines: the lines in the front, shaped like an “A”, which are short; and the lines in the back, shaped like a “D”, which are longer. These lines cause the canopy to descend down and slightly forwards.

The toggles on a canopy can be used to slow the chute down or to turn it. To slow down and turn right, you pull on the right toggle, which causes the back right corner of the canopy to be pulled down slightly. It’s important to remember when you are making any turns with your canopy, that it will always cause you to fall faster than when you are just gliding alone. Forgetting this can cause you to turn or land far too quickly and is the biggest reason for parachute injuries.

However, pulling down on both toggles at the same time will result in the canopy sloping slightly downward and the entire chute will begin to slow down. Normally chutes are flown ‘toggles up’ so that the maximum amount of air can pass through it and you can get a great dive! Experienced skydivers will sometimes fly ‘toggles down’ and may even completely stall their canopy in mid-air but for those who don’t know what they’re doing, this should not be attempted and the movement is actually restricted on most student canopies.

Get your Kids Involved!

Skydiving is a wonderful hobby and if you’re an avid skydiver, you may want to get your kids interested in your hobby as well but may feel a little queasy at the thought of letting them jump out of a plane. Getting children involved in skydiving is easy, but it’s something that must be done slowly as it can be very scary and intimidating and you don’t want to turn your children off right away. A great way to introduce the subject is to make a toy parachute - it’s super easy and will show your kids how much fun skydiving is!

1.) Get a white handkerchief and have you and your child decorate the outside of it with markers, stickers, and anything else that comes to your imagination.

2.) Gather fishing line or string and cut 4 - 14″ pieces of it. Tie one piece of string to each corner of the handkerchief, being sure to tie them very tightly.

3.) Tie all ends of the string not attached to the handkerchief to a cork. Again, tie them tightly or your parachute may fall apart mid-air.

4.) Stand on a chair and drop your parachute with the cork pointing towards the ground. Watch your child “oohh” and “aahh” as it glides gracefully to the ground.