Definition
An high speed malfunction is a situation in which the canopy is not steerable and/or landable and too few cells are inflated to adequately slow the fall.
How to react to a high speed malfunction?
Unlike a low speed malfunction, an high speed malfunction leaves us very little time to react. The solution will always be the same: carry out emergency procedures immediately.
REMINDER: Normal opening can take up to 7 seconds and close to 1,000 feet. During this period you must maintain a good free fall position and maintain the flight heading. Beyond this time limit (7 seconds or 1,000 feet), action must be taken.
The different types of high speed malfunctions
Pilot chute stuck or not found
In case the pilot chute is stuck or you can't find it, the procedure is the same: return to your neutral position, breathe, try again once. A good way to find the pilot chute is to touch your right buttock and move your hand up to your lower back. If on the second attempt you did not find it, you must immediately carry out emergency procedures.
Pilot chute in tow
A pilot chute in tow occurs when you launch your pilot chute but it fails to extract the deployment bag (containing the main parachute) from the harness bag. The pilot chute is then inflated behind you but the parachute does not open. In such a case, you are still in free fall and therefore you must immediately carry out your emergency procedures.
Pilot Chute in the Turbulence
When you are in free fall, a turbulence is created behind your back. This is an area where air does not circulate in a linear manner. If your pilot chute ends up in this area, it may not inflate and will therefore not be able to extract your main parachute. A good way to avoid this scenario is to ALWAYS throw your extractor vigorously at 45 degrees in front of you. If, despite everything, you find yourself in such a situation, simply looking back over your shoulder could solve the problem. Indeed, looking back you will move your shoulder. This will allow air to pass which will allow the pilot chute to clear this area, inflate and extract your main parachute. If this doesn't work and your pilot chute fails to inflate, you will need to perform your emergency procedures immediately.
Deployment Bag Locked
It may happen that your deployment bag comes out of your harness bag but fails to open, keeping the canopy trapped inside the deployment bag. In such a case, you are still in free fall and you must perform your emergency procedures immediately.
Streamer
It is possible that the canopy comes out of the deployment bag but cannot inflate. Here again you are close to your free fall speed and you will need to react immediately. If the canopy does not inflate after 7 seconds, you will need to carry out your emergency procedures.
Horseshoe
We call horseshoe the situation where the deployment bag comes out of the harness bag during free fall, before the pilot chute has been launched. In this scenario, the pilot chute is still stored in its pouch and the deployment bag is out. The first thing to do is to try to throw the pilot chute so that the main parachute opens. If you succeed, then carry out the usual checks (visual check, control check) and determine if the canopy is steerable and landable. If you are unable to launch the pilot chute, then you will need to perform your emergency procedures immediately.
Uncontrollable Rapid Spin
If for some reason your canopy begins to spin rapidly without you being able to control it, it is a high speed malfunction, even if all the cells are inflated. Rapid spirals induce a rapid loss of altitude and you will need to carry out your emergency procedures immediately.
In conclusion of this section we will remember that when the malfunction prevents our parachute from slowing us down sufficiently, we are in the case of a high speed malfunction. This requires emergency procedures to be carried out immediately.