Brad Kojis accident

Does anyone know for sure how was it that Brad Koji got killed last saturday? I heard that he had a different type of parachute-bridle setup and that was the problem. Does anyone know 'exactly' what happened?

The way I understand it, Brad Koji was killed when his parachute opened. The bridle line was connected to his body and when his chute opened his body was pulled into the glider wreckage breaking his neck. Normally, the bgridle is connected at the caribearner so that the glider and pilot are stopped at the same rate relative to each other. I think that I may have a similar problem with my harness. Everything is connected at the beaner like it should be but my backup hang strap completely surrounds the main hang strap and parachute bridle. I suspect (hope) that the backup hang strap is strong enough to support me if the main fails. if it is then if I deploy my chute then thi parachute bridle will in effect be connect at my harness. It is a CG-1000 harness.

Phil Morgan writes about Brad Koji's accident, where he may have had his bridle connected directly to his harness;

connected at the beaner like it should be but my >backup hang strap completely surrounds the main hang strap and >parachute bridle. I suspect (hope) that the backup hang strap is >strong enough to support me if the main fails. if it is then if I >deploy my chute then thi parachute bridle will in effect be >connect at my harness. It is a CG-1000 harness.

I think you're confusing your harness mains with your hang straps, which are connected to the glider. In a CG 1000, the mains and parachute bridle are covered by a sleeve, which is suppose to be loosely sewn together at the back. In the event of a deployment, the sleeve easily rips open, allowing the bridle to pull on the carabiner instead of directly on the pilot. The purpose of the sleeve is to streamline the mains and bridle, not for any structural strength. This is how the original setup was explained to me, at any rate. If the sleeve IS supose to back up the mains, then your bridle would in effect be directly attached to you, which would be dangerous. You could always run the bridle OUTSIDE of the sleeve and use rubber bands or velcro to keep it snug to the mains. I'd call the CG1000 maker to be sure.

Angelo Mantas

I would like to say THANK YOU to Angelo and Phil for your previous postings, I had my parachute bridle tied to the mains with heavy nylon tie-wraps on my CG 1000, they would not have ripped away in an emergancy deployment. The problem has been since corrected.

Thanks, Allen

In a CG 1000, the mains and parachute bridle are

There was also mention of Brad's bridle having been flung around his neck as a result of multiple tucks (marks on his neck & melting marks on bridle). This indicates that the attachment of Brad's bridle may not directly have been the cause of his death; although with the bridle connection to the harness itself, since you're no longer inbetween the A-frame, the chances of getting tangled in the bridle may be bigger. I think with the classical bridle / carabiner connection, you stay closer to the glider which protects you from the bridle as well as when landing.

Bart Doets