DHV safety advice for users of cocoon-type paraglider harnesses
There have been several fatalities lately caused by paraglider pilots taking off with their harness leg straps open, or by misjudging their altitude over water. Following investigation into these cases, the DHV have issued the following safety advice for paraglider pilots.
On 11 July 2010 a fatal paraglider accident occurred in the Tegelberg area, Germany. A 19-year-old pilot forgot to close the leg straps of his race harness prior take off. He was able to hold on to the harness with his arms until he flew over the lake Forgeensse. There he lost his grip and fell out of the harness into the lake. The fall from 60 to 80 metres height was fatal.
The DHV tested the harness in respect to restraining safety. It showed that the restraining safety function, to prevent a take off with open straps, is not always given with race harnesses in combination with a speed bag.
Below is an excerpt of the accident report.
The complete report in German language is posted in German on the DHV’s website.
Further examination results
1. Race harness with speed bag
The Gin Gliders Genie Race is an aerodynamically-optimised harness for competition pilots and performance oriented cross country pilots. It is in some features significantly different from common harnesses. Additional features, like speed bag and front cockpit with according latches, do create a relatively complex operation situation. The harness has a leg-breast strap combination with two latches on the breast strap. As soon as at least one of the breast straps is locked, there is a restraining safety against falling out given.
With common harnesses that incorporate the same restraining mechanism of the straps as the accident harness (a so called “Get-Up System”), a take off with open leg straps is not possible. First of all, the pilot would physically feel that the straps are not locked; second the launching paraglider would simply pull the harness up away from the pilot.
Picture 1: A common harness with Get-Up System correctly locked.
Picture 2: With this type of harness, a take off with open latches/straps, as shown, is almost impossible.
On the contrary, race harnesses like the Genie Race with closed speed bag and front container can mean the pilot feels locked into the harness even with leg and breast straps open. The pilot’s view of the locking mechanism is almost completely blocked by the cockpit and the speed bag, and he is unable to see or feel if his latches are open or closed. It is also obscured to bystanders, so other pilots are unlikely to notice. The straps are not visibly hanging down between the legs, as with common harnesses (pic. 2) but they are hidden inside the speed bag.
Picture 3: Genie Race with open latches but closed speed bag.
The relatively tight neoprene speed bag gives the pilot a feeling of being closely connected with the harness, even with a completely open restraining mechanism. The pilot in the picture is an experienced XC pilot and was not able to feel whether his latches were open or closed.
Picture 4: Genie Race with open straps but closed speed bag and locked in front-cockpit
The attached cockpit enhances the impression that everything is correctly locked in place, for both the pilot and for third parties that may check him over visually. The open restraining straps are barely visible inside the speed bag and are hard to notice.
2. Altitude judgment over water.
The judgment of flying altitude over water is a lot more difficult than over land. The relations of natural environment versus buildings do allow a rough judgment of altitude over land. This is different over water. There are no clues for an altitude judgment. A deadly accident happened in fall 2009 in Nepal with a deputy flight instructor. He intended to jump out of his harness into a lake at low altitude. He misjudged the altitude big time. The impact on the water surface from a 15 to 20 metre fall was so intense that he drowned immediately and was found dead some days later.
Picture 5 (Photo: Martin Scheel, www.azoom.ch): The magnitude relation of trees and buildings allow a judgment of altitude over land.
Picture 6: It is different over water. It is difficult to tell whether you are 20, 50 or 100 meters above the water.
For all paraglider pilots
• No take off without 5 step take off check.
• If you put on your harness, lock all straps completely – never close it only partially.
• Taking off with open leg straps does need immediate action! Try to steer your glider sideways into the mountain, even if risking a possible injury.
• “Abdominal Pull Up” is a possibility to get back into the harness. But during tests only 50% of the pilots were able to perform such an exercise.
All of these points can be seen on this video
Water landings:
Never jump out off the harness. After opening the straps, wait for impact on the water to get away from the harness.
Pilots with race harnesses with speed bags / cocoons:
During the accident investigation we learned of some other happenings with unlocked straps/latches with harnesses of these types. The potential danger seems to be a lot higher than with common harnesses due to the fact that the pilot gets a feeling of being correctly locked in by the closed speed bag. User of race harnesses should be aware of this danger.
• The leg and breast straps have to be closed prior connecting the cockpit and closing the speed bag.
• When performing the checks, the point: „straps locked” should be performed by physically touching the barely visible latches.
Request to manufacturers and test centres:
This accident showed that proven and tested locking mechanisms with restraining safety features, like the Get-Up System could fail on race harnesses with speed bags and front cockpits. The safety of the Get-Up System is based on an impossible take off with open straps. This feature is impaired with race harnesses with speed bags due to the fact that the closed speed bag (that attaches the harness like a breast strap) enables a take off without pulling the harness away from the pilot.
We encourage the harness manufacturers and the test centres to meet the concerns of these findings and incorporate them into the construction process and test procedures of harnesses.
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July 22nd, 2010 at 5:58 am
I’m really grateful for this article. Cudos
I have mentally rehearsed escaping over water a number of times and intended to execute (instructor permitting) at next SIV clinic. My intent has always been to drop out of harness before impact so the glider sails free and I’m not rising entanglement. However, these findings highlight LIKELIHOOD of misjudging height over water & fatal consequences. I will alter my strategy and mentally practice unstrapping prior to impact, but drop out of the harness just after my feet touch water. This should still keep me free of entanglement.
Secondly – reinforcing the 5-point check as we were all taught – a good reminder as fairings evolve – vigilant observance of pre-flight exam of all stressed connections – even if hidden or inconvenient.
July 31st, 2010 at 1:48 pm
This safety advice cannot be re-enforced strongly enough. I have personally witnessed one pilot taking off in Annecy a few years ago, without fastening his leg straps, which was concealed by his instrument cockpit. He was extremely lucky and managed to hang on by his arm-pits, steering the glider by weight-shift, until it landed safely. Another local pilot, launching from Ibituruna recently was not so lucky. He hung on for about 30 minutes before tragically falling to his death. Both of these were experienced pilots.
As well as stressing the importance of pilots carrying out their own pre-flight checks, these incidents also emphasize the need for all of us to be more observant when waiting on the take-off, visually checking those who are about to launch.
August 11th, 2010 at 9:03 am
Help me out here. What conditions would a pilot not be able to at least make a bad landing in a few minutes by spiraling into the ground?
How does one hold on for half an hour without thinking of a controlled crash as preferable to dropping out of the harness from fatigue?
With regard to judging distance over water, would one not reasonably benefit from dropping a shoe? If I am going swimming and letting my wing take a bath losing my shoes is probably something I prefer to do anyway. I can count if the shoe hits in under a second and I didn’t just catch a lift, I am low enough to drop. No?
August 11th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
I think the thing is you can’t reach your brakes as you fall / slide through the harness and end up just hanging on below while your glider takes you for a ride. If that’s away from the hill, then that’s it. There is no weightshifting possible because you are not in your harness. There is a technique to getting back in – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2-UCZ-lplo – but I’m sure it will be easier / harder depending on what harness you’re in. The shoe idea sounds reasonable.
August 11th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
This is another youtube clip of a guy who took off without doing up his straps … he ends up hanging for 10-15 mins with no control before landing below. He survives but is injured.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjbGvzNBSSI&feature=related
August 31st, 2010 at 9:29 am
Jim,
how do you spiral when holding on to your harness with your armpits or bare hands only? You won’t be able to pull the brakes, but even if you managed to spiral through weight shift (hold on with one arm only???), would you still be able to resist the G forces?
You can think of a controlled crash as much as you want, but that does not necessarily let you perform one (or do you fly a mind-controlled glider?). A simple top-to-bottom can take more than 30 min on many mountain sites, in thermic conditions you may rather find yourself at cloudbase after half an hour than anywhere close to the ground…
And finally, what kind of shoes do you wear when flying? I’d need my hands to open my mountain boots before letting them drop, but how could I possibly reach the laces when I desperately hold on to my harness to avoid falling to my death? Also: if your shoe takes less than a second to hit the water, why bother jumping and not just wait until you do the same?
Hope you’ll never need to try any of this stuff…
September 1st, 2010 at 5:05 am
I am one of of the people that this has happend to. This is my story, and I’m sticking to it!
I fly with a 1995 (at least thats the last inspection date on it)Sup Air harness. The fabric is shredded, but it was professionally repaired, and it was purchaced by me used that way. It has separate leg, and separate chest straps! I have launched not ONCE, but TWICE!!!, without my leg straps secured! Now, here’s where you might say it get’s weird. I experienced SERIOUS ridge lift both times this happened, at Tiger Mountain, in Issaquah, Washington, U.S.A. I was not scared from the experience when it happened though, and at first I didn’t even realize it, until I went from a torpedoed position, Pivot, or lean back, and I slide right into my seat, and then I saw the straps hanging between my legs! Gratefully, I am secure enough this harness that I do not slip vertically in it at all! In fact, I just simply lean back in it, and I slide right into the seat of my harness, and actually I even flew the second of those flights the whole 10 minute sled ride to the bottom, and landed with them undone as well.
Now, dont get me wrong. I DO NOT LIKE TO FALL!!! EVER!!! I DO NOT SKYDIVE!!! I DO NOT BUNGIE!!! ETCETRA!!! (B.T.W., I do know what 2 story fall onto concrete is, and a three day hospital stay afterward is!)
Thankfully, Paragliding is not that type of sport, or I wouldn’t be in it, and this comment would not be posted here.
I can’t offer anthing technical about it really. I can tell you, I am 6′ even, and a paltry 142lbs. It is a large harness, and I cut a half inch from each side of the seat board, but it is still a little too wide for me.
My harness needs LOTS of T.L.C., but the suspention straps appear to be in good condition, so I continue to use it.
Anyways, yes. I was SHOCKED after I’d realized I had launched without my leg straps secured, but I never felt like I was going to have it ripped off me, or danger of me fallout of it! And, Oh yes, I too have seen the video’s, and heard the stories of people falling to their death, and yes, I too would have been headed for the nearest tree, or pulling lines if the situation commanded it, whatever it would have taken. But, it wasn’t like that for me.
I now qualify for a P3, but I have not been signed off for it, so technically I am still a P2 Pilot. I do have over 150, 30 minute average flights, and have learned MUCH since then, and I now do VERY thorough preflight checks, but as I am human, as are we all, we are prone to mistakes from time, to time.
This is my BIGGEST fear for upgrading to a newer harness. I do not wish to lose this extra layer of security I feel I have now with this tired old harness, and truly it does seem to fit me well. Besides, I don’t do anything fancy with it. I just kinda tool around in ridge lift, and a thermal here, or there, but not alot of thermalling, and no XC at all.
I do know I will have to upgrade sooner, or later, as I am already flying with the oldest style harness on the mountain. Decisions, decisions!
Like I said, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I hope every pilot out there can find a harness like mine, one that pivots so perfectly as mine allowes me to do, and simply rotate into a seated position, without ever being in an “upright” position, ultimately resulting in hanging by your armpits it seems. I will therefore be VERY selective on my next harness purchase, and please, ALL, take these words into consideration when making a purchase on your next harness. I lucked into this harness, and it may have potentially even saved my life twice thusfar! This rotating pivot point, from a torpedoed position, into an exactly seated position in your harness should be a MUST, and that is going to be my #1 priority above all else, when I do finally do make the decision to upgrade to a newer harness. God Bless, and Kind Winds!
Onwards and Upwards,
Gary
January 10th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
[...] 4 DHV Cocoon Safety Advice Germany’s free flight association issued a safety notice about cocoon harnesses, which we carried in full on the site. Pilots have been forgetting to close their leg straps before closing the harness. If you haven’t read it, read it now. [...]