Collapse Boy

[Matthew]

I crashed my PG at launch today at the Pulpit. Long story short, I have a minor fracture in one of my disks. Doc says I'll be OK in three weeks. It was blowing about 10, somtimes less, with peak gusts at 14. Shawn Ray had launchd his HG and it looked a little turbulent-- but not too bad. I built a wall and wasn't being pulled. So I reverse inflated the wing. It came up straight and I looked at it for a few seconds to make sure it was ok. Everything seemed golden. I turned around to run and was imediately lifted off my feet to about ten feet above the new ramp. I was gong slightly backward and was trying to hook the speed bar with my foot. I never got to the speed bar. I instantly dropped out of the sky and swung over into the rocks on the left side. Witnesses reported that the left side of my wing collapsed. I impacted the rocks on my left thigh and my butt. I sure am glad I have a big fat padded harness with 8 inches of foam. Karen drove me to Chambersburg Hospital because my back was sore from the impact. After X-rays and a CAT scan they told me I had a minor compression fracture. My leg hurts a lot worse than my back. Big thanks to Ellis and Shawn for stopping by to see how I was doing at the hospital.

Matthew

[Lauren Tjaden]

Ohhh, I'm so sorry!!! I'm glad you'll be okay.
We love you; we'll call,
Lauren

[DanTuck]

Matthew,
I'm really glad that you're going to be okay. Watching it was scary as hell, I can't even imagine what it must have been like for you. The left side of your wing did collapse and you hit really hard. I hope you feel better soon. Take it easy man.
Dan

[John Simon]

Hi Matthew,
very sorry to hear about the injury. Thank God it wasn't worse. Heather and I are wishing you a very quick and full recovery and hope to see you well soon.


Take care,

John

[RedBaron]

Ouch, sorry to hear Matthew. Glad it's not worse, wish you a quick and speedy recovery.

[Matthew]

Thanks everyone. Funny thng. I was telling Dan T. (new Dan) on Thursday that collapses weren't a big issue anymore with new paragliders as they are designed to re-inflate in 20 feet. Unfotunately I was about 18' above the ground.

Matthew

[stevek]

Ouch. Glad you are more or less ok.

What do you think caused the collapse?

[CraginS]

Matthew,
Really sorry you got caught like that. Glad the damage was limited.
Thanks for getting word out fast.
Feel better!

craig

[Ashley Groves]

Matthew;

I am happy to hear you will heal quickly. Blown launches are always scary and you got swung pretty hard into those rocks. That padding must be pretty good.

Take care and feel better.

[Matthew]

To answer Steve's question-- dunno. An uexpected very large gust? I've launched at the Pulpit in stronger conditions. The forecast was for 5 all afternoon and decreasing. I waited until after noon to get an idea of how strong the thermals would be... and there were no freight trains. Thus, I have to totally re-evaluate what are safe conditions to fly at the Pulpit and only launch a PG in much lighter mid-day conditions, wait much later into the day and/or get a report of in-air conditions.

Karen got lifted off her feet to ramp height a couple of years ago in relatively benign conditions. She went swinging back and forth between the two ramps and fortunately got away from the mountain safely. So, I'm just gonna have to be a lot more choosy about launch conditions, especially at the Pulpit.

Matthew

[Paul Tjaden]

Duuuuude! I am so sorry you got bounced but soooo happy you were not hurt badly. In the words of our old friend, Chad Elchin, "They oughta put some sticks in those things."

Paul

[XCanytime]

Matthew,
I am glad to hear that the damage was minimal. I will never forget what I saw (and HEARD) yesterday. The Pulpit is a very tricky place for hang gliders when it is crossing from the SW. Rolling tumbleweeds of air (rotor) flow thru the launch area from time to time. The streamers on the ends of the ramp let us know what the hang glider will "see" as we run down the ramp. Your paragliding wing "sees" the air much higher than a hang glider on the old ramp when you are inflating and launching. I suspect some tumbleweed of air rolled past your left wing and collapsed the tip area. I saw the whole collapse from my vantage point down in the setup area. I hope to never see anything like that again. Take it easy the next few weeks. The mountains aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Best Regards,
Bacil

[brianvh]

Boy, I thought I had a bad day because I was rarin' to go and the car didn't start. Okay in 3 weeks, huh? So good to know, don't like to think how much worse it could have been.

[brianvh]

p.s. : It ain't a hang glider!

[carweill]

Matthew
I was among many that were happy to see you sprang on your feet after that fall. You and Karen are the super couple that I wish have many more decades of adventure. You can handle a few weeks taking it easy.

Carlos

[jimrooney]

Couple weeks off... and late season no less... cheap lesson. Glad you're (relatively) ok. Blown launches are always scary stuff.

Jim

[bustedwing2]

Glad you'll be back at it soon,glad I didn't see it.Heal well. RichB

[mcelrah]

So is there any support for offering the launch up to some construction company to receive some dozens of truckloads of (clean) fill, renting a bulldozer and covering-up/landscaping the boulder field out front so PGs can launch down there rather than between the ramps?
Whaddaya think? Feasible? Worth the effort? Seems like it would offer an increment of safety in that one wouldn't be trapped between the ramps, but you *could* still get dragged or jerked back/up into them... You would also a get a longer runout/abort space... Enable self-launch of hang-gliders (flexwings, rigids).
- Hugh

[KirkLewis]

Man glad to hear you're OK.

[Batman]

Glad to hear you're ok Matthew! If you need someone to cook for you while you're injured, my rates are quite reasonable At least the recovery time will give you more time to ponder ethereal things such as weak links .....