pin_check.wmv

I thought I'd elaborate a bit about this video:  (there is no audio on the clip)

This is a jump from a PAC-750 last month.  There are 4 floaters out.  I was shooting video as the 4th floater.  As the group lauched a 3way exit, the 2nd floater encoutered an open container on exit.  I thought initially this was due to a pilot chute sneaking out of its pouch, however closer inspection of the video showed that it was actually a horseshoe malfunction (bag deployement while the pilot chute remains in the pouch).   The bridal extracted the pilot chute from the pouch.

The jumper had major line twists under canopy but was eventually able to get the twists out and land under his main. The jumper in the red helmet (the front floater) was uninjured despite needing to push off of the other jumper's leg as he opened.  

Inspection on the ground showed an intact closing loop and no evidence of damage.  One jumper examining the rig felt that the closing loop was too loose (I didn't see it personally).   Exactly why the container opened is unknown.

The fact that the bridal was able to extract the pilot chute from its pouch had its good and bad points.  It prevented the jumper from having to deal with a horseshoe malfunction but it also allowed a canopy deployent with potential for collision.

I named this video "pin_check" because its very possible that a pin check prior to exit could have identified a problem.

It is very fortunate that:
1).  The bag did not deploy until after the exit. Had it deployed during climb out, this could have been catastrophic.
2).  The bridal was able to extract the pilot chute from its pouch (fortunate for that jumper anyway).  
3).  No one was injured by the deploying canopy.
4).  The deploying main opened without malfunctioning (it was bag locked briefly).
    
My conclusions are:
1).  A pin check on jump run is still a good idea
2).  Loose closing loops are still a bad idea
3).  Packing your pilot chute in a manner which allows the bridal to more easily extract the pilot chute is a good idea
(see Brian Germain's video about this).    Thanks Brian!