Black Diamond Inc. recalled all its groundbreaking JetForce avalanche airbag packs July 14 to check for a malfunction of an electric motor that prevents some airbags from deploying. The recall affects 1,200 packs the company sold in North America under its Black Diamond, PIEPS and POC brands and demonstrates the risks company's must undertake to engage in meaningful innovation.
While no injuries have been reporting and Black Diamond has only diagnosed the problem in a small number of packs, failure to inflate defeats the primary purpose of the packs, which is to prevent skiers, snowmobilers and other backcountry adventurers caught in an avalanche from being crushed or suffocated.
Black Diamond's JetForce technology substitutes a battery operated electric motor for air and gas cartridges traditionally used to inflate avalanche bags. The innovation has been widely praised by backcountry enthusiasts, who have long sought an alternative to cartridge systems that must be recharged after each use and can't be carried on to commercial airlines when charged.
The recall covers the first generation of JetForce Avalanche Airbag Packs manufactured in the United States between Oct. 2, 2014 and March 3, 2015. Specialty outdoor retailers sold about 1,000 of the packs in the United States and 200 in Canada for between $1,250 and $1,300 each between December 2014 and June 2015.
Black Diamond has instructed consumers to immediately stop using the recalled packs and contact it for instructions on returning the product for a free repair, which involves updating the pack's firmware.
“On behalf of all of us at Black Diamond, PIEPS and POC, I’d like to thank all of the athletes, snow-safety professionals and other early adopters of JetForce for their patience as we bring this revolutionary technology to market,” Black Diamond Inc. President and Founder Peter Metcalf wrote in a letter posted at jetforcrecall.com. “We are committed to making these updates, returning your pack to you swiftly, and continuing to provide our customers the very best in backcountry equipment and service.
At least one Black Diamond dealer took the news in stride, noting that authentic innovation is rarely comes without a few glitches.
“The technology is real and should be pursued and brought to market as it is a game changer from the old air and gas filled airbag technology,” said David Polivy, an owner of Tahoe Mountain Sports in Truckee, CA. “Black Diamond should be commended for their handling of the situation and I hope they continue to develop the technology.”
Though avalanche airbag packs only became widely available in North America in the last seven or so years, decades of use in Europe has shown them to be very effective at saving lives.
