Stuck harness zipper

Please tell what happened and how it might have been avoided. Names should be ommitted. This forum should help others learn from mistakes that caused or nearly caused a mishap.
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gregangsten
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Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2005 11:22 am
Location: Westchester

Stuck harness zipper

Post by gregangsten »

After a surprisingly nice flight on New Year's Eve that got us over 6K and able to do a little travelling, I went out to land, a little on the low side since I'd been scratching for awhile. I went to unzip as I got to the bridge and found an inch or two section of my zipper had split open just below the bottom slider. The zipper wouldn't budge and neither would the velcro. Lots of struggle with the glider flopping all over the place and I finally gave up trying to get out and resigned myself to landing zipped up.

After a circle or two over the LZ I turned downwind at what was probably about my typical altitude for starting the approach. I knew my glide angle would be shallower being zipped up and slick so I expected to do a deep, long approach and went all the way out to the powerlines on my downwind but I was still too high as I was loosing altitude very slowly on the Litespeed. A big base and I still had to do S turns to get lined up low enough as the last thing I wanted to do was overshoot the LZ and wind up in rocks going head first. Finally got it low and straightened out but I still ate up the whole LZ as there was no wind at all and I was coming in pretty hot. I had 1/4 to 1/3 VG on too to give me a stronger flare. At the base of the overshoot ramp I hammered it. One thing about being prone is that it is easy to find and get to the rear wires so I reached back and threw them forward, popping me around nicely and landing on the point of my harness boot. The glider dropped on the base bar and I followed it of course, but I was delighted to see how well it had all turned out. A dirty harness but no injury to me at all, although I must have fallen into my downtube as it now had a bow in it.

In retrospect, I might have been able to rip the zipper apart at the point where it was splitting and still gotten out but I didn't want to get too low while being focused on the harness and crashing somewhere nasty. I certainly should have taken another circle before going downwind and I think that's something I'll remember if it happens again, but I was pleased to see how easy it was to flare from the wires in that situation and get a reasonably good outcome.

Now you can all tell me how I should have been flying with wheels.
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Busto
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Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:59 pm

Post by Busto »

A while back, Deno came in prone, and still zipped up... He made the landing look so easy.

He flared hard, stopping the glider instantly. Holding the flare, he rested on the tip at the toes.

His hands still on the down tubes; his glider softly came down, resting on the base tube.

Everyone cheered at the coolness he demonstrated.

It sounds like you used your cool, and did what was needed.

Thanks for the tip in suggesting the wires as a resort.
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JD
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Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2008 11:05 am

Post by JD »

Greg,

Thank you for the report and I'm glad it turned out well with only a bowed downtube. Please carefully check both of your Litespeed corner brackets for cracks. They have a reputation for being brittle castings and cracking.

Your downtube probably bowed due to compression failure. I have done pancake landings and never touched a downtube yet one or both failed. This is strictly from the compression on the DTs from my body & harness mass snapping the hang strap down hard as the base bar hits the deck.

I have done many belly landings and have found them pretty easy and benign. My feeling is that by trying to do a full flare while zipped up in a pod harness rather than simply sliding in on the harness shell I am risking a broken neck and possible paralysis or death. I am concerned that any error can result in getting whipped forward into the ground followed by a head, neck or spine injury.

Having slid into home plate face-first on my harness shell numerous times in up to a 10 mph downwind on asphalt or wet sand, I have found that by just pushing all the way out on the Dts that the glider doesn't even nose-over or whack. It stays on its keel and base bar while I slide on my belly and harness shell. I'll take a little road rash over physical therapy any day of the week.
jcflies
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Post by jcflies »

mitch mcaleer does awesome zipper repairs at prices from the 70s! :D PM me to get his #
janyce

"You HAVE to make it..."
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Steve90266
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slideropen

Post by Steve90266 »

Nice work keeping your cool, Greg, and thanks for sharing the experience .I was taught to open the harness just prior to the bridge for this very reason. I fly a Z-5 harness. Sure enough, on my last flight MY zipper stuck. I pulled hard a couple of times, then started fumbling for the Velcro, but I could not remember how that whole system worked. Meanwhile, my glider is pitching around, turning this way and that, and I'm still headed for the LZ. I thought "belly landing" but decided to give the zipper another try. With another mighty pull, the zipper broke free and all was good again. Whew!

I managed to finagle some high tech silicon paste from my father-in-law. Needless to say, my zippers are now coated in the stuff. I have it with me, and you or any other pilots are welcome to try it.
Steve Murillo
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Vrezh
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Post by Vrezh »

Glad you guys pulled it off.

Me thinks this happens more often during the winter.

Muucho-muucho clothing, jyou (k)now.

2p.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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Spitfire
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Re: slideropen

Post by Spitfire »

Steve90266 wrote:Nice work keeping your cool, Greg, and thanks for sharing the experience .I was taught to open the harness just prior to the bridge for this very reason. I fly a Z-5 harness. Sure enough, on my last flight MY zipper stuck. I pulled hard a couple of times, then started fumbling for the Velcro, but I could not remember how that whole system worked. Meanwhile, my glider is pitching around, turning this way and that, and I'm still headed for the LZ. I thought "belly landing" but decided to give the zipper another try. With another mighty pull, the zipper broke free and all was good again. Whew!

I managed to finagle some high tech silicon paste from my father-in-law. Needless to say, my zippers are now coated in the stuff. I have it with me, and you or any other pilots are welcome to try it.
This happened to me once. It could be because my Z5 is a bit big for me (bought used), but I'm able to reach for the actual zipper when upright and pull it most of the way down, thereby bypassing the pulley system. Worth giving it a shot if the need arises.
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