Ever have a biner break?

Many years back I started over the edge of a 100' rappel. After getting set up and changed the angle from standing on the edge of the cliff to being over the edge of the cliff, I took one last look at my belay device and biner. To my dismay a small piece of plastic was sticking out of the auto locking biner gate...I shifted my weight slightly and more pieces of small plastic fell out of the gate of the carabiner. I gently pressed the gate and to my amazement found that in the "locked position" the gate was not actually locked. Panic! The Yeti sized climber that I am, I saw in my mind the biner starting to bend open and fail and/or the whole biner exploding into little pieces of aluminum and plastic...I grabbed the biner with left hand to keep it shut and totally white knuckled my grip on the brake hand with my right... I then wrestled myself back up over the edge of the cliff with feet, knees, elbows, shoulders and hips, but with no hands....upon inspection, the company had used a crappy type of inner plastic sleeve inside of the outer aluminum sleeve and for some unbeknownst reason the inner one had decided to go on permanent weight/girth reduction...haven't used autolockers since then

bearbreeder wrote: couldnt tell you david, you would have to ask the person whose blog thats on ... the link is above

David Coley wrote: Sorry, I didn't notice is was a cut and paste from elsewhere. I'll see if I can find out.

Yup, just a few points that just mite help.

1) yes - non locking carabiners can open, by ropes cords, wire eyes, loops , even the rock and  fatigued springs on carabiners- the climber  deemed safe ?!  Once around the gate and a little twisting action, or quick jar or pressure on that gate and WOW! It opens.  You don't always fall straight and Biner moves as well. It may twist and you can in opposite directions at the same time.

2) not all aluminum is the same. They have grading, with different physical values. Each has +\-. They even wear differently. Selecting the right type in the right place, matters.  If your ropes are eating on the biner, take and have it checked- by someone whom knows how that item wears .

3)ok- the Rating on equipment and gear, All load rates are static only.  Not shock loades.  Shockload- you, your gear, the distance you fall , the angles you fall, the number of bumps you go over and the gear slides over, and the speed , all make up a part.

4) so the real help, I personally am a professional certified climber in the utility industry.  Don't trust a wire gate unless you double them, opposingly. Learn to inspect and care for each piece you own. Do inspect each and every time, you go to a new CLIMB  route . Use a set of binoculars to per check the the route and anchoring (what was safe before, mite not be the text). Learn how to set and replace anchor points - or carry danger/ do not use/ lock out tags and locks. So if you find a bad anchor- simply place the lock in the hole so no one can.any lock painted red works! 

5) the photos - notice wear in the corners, notice carabiners is bent to the side and a steel anchor was cut with bolt cutters, notice screw lock has a bolge in the middle of the break- shear point was reached- use it in the wrong way for above rated shear. Notice THE nosing snaps at the corner. 

Dan Swift wrote:

4) so the real help, I personally am a professional certified climber in the utility industry.  Don't trust a wire gate unless you double them, opposingly. Learn to inspect and care for each piece you own. Do inspect each and every time, you go to a new CLIMB  route . Use a set of binoculars to per check the the route and anchoring (what was safe before, mite not be the text). Learn how to set and replace anchor points - or carry danger/ do not use/ lock out tags and locks. So if you find a bad anchor- simply place the lock in the hole so no one can.any lock painted red works! 

5) the photos - notice wear in the corners, notice carabiners is bent to the side and a steel anchor was cut with bolt cutters, notice screw lock has a bolge in the middle of the break- shear point was reached- use it in the wrong way for above rated shear. Notice THE nosing snaps at the corner. 

Something tells me this thread is about to get rather interesting.

And it only took 2 years!

A biner breaking episode caught on video.

Dan Swift wrote:

4)I personally am a professional certified climber in the utility industry. 

Your ignorance would be less concerning if you weren't a "a professional certified climber in the utility industry".

Putting a lock on a bad bolt so someone can't clip it? You're a psychopath.

I broke a biner in an ice climbing fall at Vail......

Biner that broke was the third piece of gear to fail next stop on the 100’ fall was the ground....

Val Valley Medical Center is a great place to be brought too and be put back together 

Kevin D wrote:  ......... Anyone else have a biner break?

Yes, a locker:

https://www.coldmountainkit.com/knowledge/articles/pembroke-rescued-can-dangerous/

David Coley wrote:

Yes, a locker:

https://www.coldmountainkit.com/knowledge/articles/pembroke-rescued-can-dangerous/

no pictures :(

Glad everybody made it out okay, even without a few brain buckets

David, that's one helluva story. I suspect Jim has an amazing tale as well. This thread is definitely enlightening. The only biner I saw break was on a dynamometer at Tahquitz at a rescue seminar of some kind back in the late 70s. It was a $2.10 (at the time) Eiger oval and snapped at something just under 2000 pounds of slow onset force. Those ovals is what made up most of our rack at the time.