Chapter 1
RIGGING ETHICS
As parachute riggers gain additional experience, they are
occasionally faced with situations that involve less than
ideal circumstances. Some examples are: if a new jumper
purchases old or damaged equipment that may or may not
be airworthy, or if a pilot purchases an acrobatic plane
that has a parachute that is far too small for his/her
weight. These situations involve more than just the
technical knowledge for a parachute rigger certificate.
In the case of the pilot above, depending on which TSO
the parachute is certified, there may be a weight and speed
limitation for the system. For example, TSO C23c category
B has a limitation of 254-pound exit weight and a
speed limitation of 150 knots. Imagine a pilot who weighs
225 pounds and his airplane regularly exceeds the 150-
knot envelope during maneuvering. If this pilot brings a
parachute to a parachute rigger for repacking, the first
thing the parachute rigger should notice is the size of the
pilot. When the parachute rigger inspects the parachute,
he notices that it has a 22-foot diameter round canopy.
The parachute rigger finds that with the pilot at 225
pounds, his clothes at 5 pounds, and the parachute at 20
pounds, he is at 250 pounds or just under the limit.
However, in looking at the owner’s manual, the parachute
rigger cannot find any information in the weight-carrying
limit of the canopy. In addition, this particular parachute
was made by a company that is no longer in business. The
parachute appears to be in good condition visually but is
30 years old. In this situation, the parachute rigger is
faced with a number of questionable areas that are
detailed below.
CERTIFICATION SPECIFICATIONS
The practical circumstances surrounding the above pilot’s
use of the parachute is at the maximum limits of the certification
specifications of the parachute. If he does not eat
a big breakfast or gain much weight before using the parachute,
he might stay under the weight limit. The speed
limitation will probably be exceeded on a regular basis
during acrobatic maneuvers. If he needs to use the parachute
at some point, there should be enough of a safety
margin built into the design and testing of the parachute
to be sufficient.
PILOT VS PARACHUTE SIZE
With 250 pounds under a 22-foot diameter canopy, the
pilot probably will drop from the sky at an excessive rate
of descent. A common assumption in this situation is that
it is unlikely he will need to use the parachute, but if he
does, will it save his life?
PARACHUTE SERVICE LIFE
There is no service life on the parachute; it may be considered
airworthy as long as it meets its technical standard
order. While the parachute appears to be in good
condition, there are not many non-destructive tests
available to the parachute rigger in the field to make
this determination. It may be possible to drop test the
parachute, but the cost would probably outweigh the
value of the system. It is up to the parachute rigger to
make the determination as to the airworthiness of the
parachute system. When the parachute rigger seals the
parachute and signs the data card, the rigger is saying it is
ready, thereby putting the customer’s life on the line.
What should the parachute rigger do? This is not just a
theoretical situation—it is one that has been experienced
many times by many parachute riggers. All of the above
information plus economic factors complicate the parachute
rigger’s decision. If the rigger does not pack the
parachute, the pilot may take it down the road to another
parachute rigger for a second opinion who may not have
the same standards. An added factor is liability exposure.
If the parachute rigger signs off on a questionable parachute
and an accident occurs later, the rigger may be
exposed to disciplinary action from the Administrator in
addition to civil action in the courts. There are no hard and
fast rules in these situations, but instead, the parachute rigger
must exercise the best judgment the rigger can summon
based on experience and the information at hand.
Most professional parachute riggers would refuse to pack
the parachute described in the scenario above, due to a
combination of age, the size of the individual, and the
potential use parameters.
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