Caught on Video - Buried in avalanche - Valemount 2016
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theshadowrider
Well-known member
I would guess because he pulled it right at impact. Even if it inflated it would of not done much. An airbag will not do much good when you are hit from above.
The airbag also looks like it is rolled up inside the bag, maybe not packed correctly?
So glad no injuries! and thanks for sharing.
As I posted on your video, good lesson and reminder for everyone to do at least one practice deployment on a new bag.
If you return the bag to the manufacturer to determine the cause (which I think you should do!), please share the findings (that side packed incorrectly from the factory, issue with the bag closure not allowing that side to deploy, issue with the plumbing/nitrogen delivery system, problem with the venturi that draws in ambient air on that side, etc.). Happy it was the type with two airbags, rather than one, since some floatation/volume is way better than none (and that is one of the marketing points for that particular brand. Your situation seems to support their that point).
Edit: Hmmm, looks like you just disabled comments on your video. I guess I do the same because it seems like all videos get a lot of trolls. When you find out the above info, it would be helpful to post up the cause for the education of others.
As I posted on your video, good lesson and reminder for everyone to do at least one practice deployment on a new bag.
If you return the bag to the manufacturer to determine the cause (which I think you should do!), please share the findings (that side packed incorrectly from the factory, issue with the bag closure not allowing that side to deploy, issue with the plumbing/nitrogen delivery system, problem with the venturi that draws in ambient air on that side, etc.). Happy it was the type with two airbags, rather than one, since some floatation/volume is way better than none (and that is one of the marketing points for that particular brand. Your situation seems to support their that point).
Edit: Hmmm, looks like you just disabled comments on your video. I guess I do the same because it seems like all videos get a lot of trolls. When you find out the above info, it would be helpful to post up the cause for the education of others.
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sledsrock
Well-known member
That's the ABS bag. They will want that back to evaluate why it failed to deploy properly.
bag was pulled 1.5-2.0 seconds before being tossed off the sled so lots of time.
bag was test deployed and repacked properly (not my first time)
bag was brand new (replacement bag sent to me from the manufacturer because my last one failed the exact same way on a test deploy)
I can't confirm the brand name of the bag as there may be some legal implications to doing that before this gets settled.
bag was test deployed and repacked properly (not my first time)
bag was brand new (replacement bag sent to me from the manufacturer because my last one failed the exact same way on a test deploy)
I can't confirm the brand name of the bag as there may be some legal implications to doing that before this gets settled.
Compressed nitrogen on these. All other brands are comptessed air.
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sledsrock
Well-known member
Yes, not my point though
Yes, not the point I was getting at though. My BCA also is compressed Nitrogen. The point I was getting at is there is only one system that uses two bags that deploy on the sides that use any form of compressed gas.
Yes, not the point I was getting at though. My BCA also is compressed Nitrogen. The point I was getting at is there is only one system that uses two bags that deploy on the sides that use any form of compressed gas.
Thanks for sharing, great that there are no injuries.
Hill failed where it got thin, blew you right into the terrain trap. Without at least half a bag, maybe you would have been buried deeper. That's not meant to be consoling, just an observation.
FWIW, if you are considering some legal action, sending the bag to ABS now will work against you bigtime - hold onto the bag. So will the vid if it stays out there. Just gives the other party's legal boyz more to work with. With that said, let us know how it turns out, if you can (no non-disclosure). If you had two new bags fail the same/similar way, the findings will be interesting, even tho this one fully deployed once before. Did you ever hear back on why the first bag didn't fully deploy?
So everyone else is clear, like Chadx said - these non-jet bags work on a venturi effect principle - the compressed air/nitrogen doesn't fill the bags, outside air primarily does. Issue could be with the inflator bag, the venturi head, etc., but since one side fully deployed, likely not the canister, and not the trigger. Does not look the bag opening could have been the culprit, either. Good luck.
Hill failed where it got thin, blew you right into the terrain trap. Without at least half a bag, maybe you would have been buried deeper. That's not meant to be consoling, just an observation.
FWIW, if you are considering some legal action, sending the bag to ABS now will work against you bigtime - hold onto the bag. So will the vid if it stays out there. Just gives the other party's legal boyz more to work with. With that said, let us know how it turns out, if you can (no non-disclosure). If you had two new bags fail the same/similar way, the findings will be interesting, even tho this one fully deployed once before. Did you ever hear back on why the first bag didn't fully deploy?
So everyone else is clear, like Chadx said - these non-jet bags work on a venturi effect principle - the compressed air/nitrogen doesn't fill the bags, outside air primarily does. Issue could be with the inflator bag, the venturi head, etc., but since one side fully deployed, likely not the canister, and not the trigger. Does not look the bag opening could have been the culprit, either. Good luck.
No worries and i followed you and guessed you knew. I was just pointing out that ABS uses nitrogen, and not compressed air, for accuracy for others reading it.
Interesting that you are running nitrogen in your BCA rather than compressed air. So you are using the bca compressed air canister and then filling it with nitrogen up to the pressure recommended for the compressed air? Or using a different cartridge and/or different pressure? With ABS cannister, the nitrogen is filled by weight. Do you fill your BCA by weight or pressure?
I don't see any issues, as atmospheric air is 78% nitogen anyway. Just curious why since nitrogen would typically be more expensive or harder to source than compressed air. And curious if you were given a hard time by whoever is filling (I'm not sure how, or if, the bca cannisters are labeled).
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sledsrock
Well-known member
I work in the aircraft industry and have easy access to high pressure nitrogen. I fill the BCA bottles to the recommended pressure of 2700 psi. I believe ABS uses weight due to not having a gauge. As you mentioned, atmosheric is 78% N2O already, nothing wrong with 100%. Keeping in mind, previously posted above, the bottle itself is not what really fills the bag(s), it's used to operate the venturi pump, pulling in outside atmospheric air.
Nice!
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