Don't F@#$ Up

Those were the last words my team said to each other before a jump.  It's what was said before every C.R.W jump, so why should this one be different?  It was the sixth round of the USPA 4-way rotation event in Eloy, Arizona.  It was supposed to be a rest day, with 4-way sequential teams competing, but the cloud ceiling was too low.  We got a call at 8:00 am to get to the drop zone and get ready.

"Don't F@#$ up", we said it and lined up to leave the plane.  I was last out, and last in the formation.  The jump was going well, and we hit 7 points.  Just as time expired, Alan came in too fast.  All I needed to do was "get big" and spread my legs/arms out, but instead, I went to grab his lines and get the last point...bad move #1.  He came in too fast and I got entangled in his lines and his canopy wrapped me.  "3,500 feet", a teammate calls out.  We've got 500 feet to do something before we hit the "hard deck" of 3,000 feet.  At that point, you don't screw around, you go to your reserve and land.  I start working out and get the left side out, but I'm still stuck in the mess.  "2,500".  Alan cuts his main and goes to his reserve.  I'm left wrapped in his parachute.

A wrap is very common in CRW, we review what to do each time.  We had them in practice and they were uneventful (except for the crowd watching).  Sonny had my canopy still in the stack and was directing me to the ground.  He was going to guide my canopy to the landing area, and worst case I'd have a hard PLF.  2,500 feet I see my canopy take a dive and I'm thinking "W@#$@#$@#$.  This isn't time to be doing any hard maneuvers", but when I looked up, I was met with my own canopy wrapping around me.  Alan's canopy still, still wrapped around me, partially inflated and disturbed the air.  For some reason, my canopy took a dive down and around me.  This was the "OH @#$@" point for me, but things were going so fast, I had no idea what was going on.

At this point, I was out of Alan's canopy, but stuck in his risers and spinning to the ground.   At no point did I think I'd hit it, I figured I'd pull something out, and then go to my reserve.  During one rotation, I saw the ground...it wasn't that far.  I needed to dump my reserve and get fabric out.  I pulled my reserve handle without cutting away my main...bad/good move.  I replay this moment in my head.  "If I cut away my main, would Alan's have gone with it?".  But we'll never know.  What I do know is my reserve barber polled up my main.  All I had was Alan's partially inflated  parachute guiding me to the ground.  I tried to pull his risers apart to inflate air...great move #1.  By doing this, I was keeping my body parallel to the ground.


Another rotation goes by and the ground is close, another and it's closer.  I still have no idea what's gonna happen.  Then I hit the ground and let out a loud grunt.  I lay there in pain, but I move my fingers and legs...I'm still alive...still breathing...still able to move.  Then I black out.  I'm one of a few people to survive a double malfunction.