From the Vermont Hang Gliding Forum:

On Mar 4, 2016, at 7:22 PM, <<jafcmx5>> [VHGA] <VHGA@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

I awoke to the sound of rain. The forecast had not been promising either but it
turned out to be just a shower. At breakfast we decided to head out later at 11
to give the heating more time to develop. When we got to launch it was blowing
straight in and stronger than the past 2 days. There were Cus out front and
patches of blue sky.

Having worked out the turn in my glider and figured out the right number of
layers to stay warm I was rigged quickly and ready to go before the rest of the
crew. A local pilot was already on launch when I stepped up for a hang check
from Damian. After the check I observed the wind was crossing from the back. We
both waited and then the local pilot stepped back and rotated his glider tail to
launch. I was about to do the same when the wind switched and started blowing up
the front. I carried over to launch, set the glider down for a moment, the wind
was still up the front so I picked up and ran off.

I headed left to the house thermal, put a few turns in broken lift and then
started heading down the spine. I connected with a weak climb that got me up
over launch and convinced the local pilot to launch. This fizzled so I pushed
out front a short distance and connected and started turning again. Portro
launched to join us.

I started zipping up and banged my helmet on the control bar, odd. Then I
realized I was hanging lower than I should be. I put in a few more turns and
then decided something was wrong so I radioed to Damian that I had an issues and
was heading to the LZ to land and figure it out.

10 or 15 seconds later my hang strap tension dropped to zero and I was hanging
by my armpits with my elbows over the control bar. As I swung back and forth I
tried to get one hand to my parachute bridle but then slipped so I was hanging
from the control bar with my arms over head. I let go with my left hand and
grabbed my parachute bridle and started ripping it open when I lost my grip with
my right hand. I fell facing up, ripped open my chute pocket and hucked upward.
I didn't see the chute open but I was yanked hard and was now hanging by the
hang strap again, head up and leaning slightly forward. I radioed that I had
deployed successfully.

I came down on a steep wooded slope, crashed through a tree, banged the outside
of my left thigh on a branch and came to rest on the ground.

My radio antenna runs up my harness mains and deploying had ripped through the
coax cable so I had to get out my rubber ducky to respond that I was on the
ground and essentially unhurt. I didn't see it happen but the glider came down
about 100' from me.

About 10 people came to help get the glider and my parachute out of the trees
and hike it all down to the Piano LZ.

The failure to remain connected to the glider was the result of using a hang
strap extender. The previous pilot had wrapped electrical tape around the
extender, presumably to make it more aerodynamic. As pilot in command I failed
on 2 accounts. I should have removed the tape to determine exactly how the
extender was attached (or not) to the hang strap. I also should have gotten
another extender to act as a secondary. The extender appeared to be doubled over
so that there were 2 loops to hook your carabineer through. It is possible I
missed one but I highly doubt it. I knew I had to hook into 2 and was conscious
of doing so. It seems more likely that the extender had remained in place due to
friction and all that tape. Up to this point I had flown the glider 8 hours in
this configuration. The glider was intact except an approximately 2' tear along
the #6 batten on the top surface. The extender was in the carabineer and the
carabineer was locked. The harness mains and secondaries and parachute bridles
were intact.

Needless to say I am taking tomorrow off to inspect my gear, see how my bruised
leg really feels and talk with Heather.