Main Canopy Toggle Malfunction Can Be Avoided

By: Mike Gruwell

Below is a series of photos showing how a young jumper at Skydive The Farm ended up with a main canopy toggle malfunction.

The jumper did try to stow the toggles per the manufacturer's manual (United Parachute Technologies TruLock Toggles). But the stowage instructions aren't as detailed for canopies with longer excess brake lines. The jumper also may not have been looking at the toggles when she released them or may not have realized the brake line was looped over the toggle during deployment.

The second photo simulates what we think happened with the excess during deployment as the wind hit the excess steering lines.

The result was the toggle being pulled through the brake line below the excess steering line stowage loops on the back of the riser resulting in a knot that could not be released under tension.

A couple of things to learn from this malfunction:

• Contact the manufacturer directly if your situation seems to be different from the manual description or if there is a question on the your interpretation.
• Look at your toggles before or as your release them to make sure there isn't an obvious obstruction or entanglement.