What happened
During a routine sport parachuting operation, the pilot was conducting a jump run with a group of skydivers. At some point during the flight, the pilot observed that one of the parachutists had inadvertently pulled his parachute out of its pack while still inside or near the aircraft. In an attempt to manage the situation, the pilot shouted warnings at the affected individual.
Instead of remaining secure, the parachutist stepped onto the aircraft's wing strut. This action caused the already-deployed parachute to fully inflate and exert significant upward force on the individual. The sudden deployment pulled the parachutist off the strut and out of the aircraft.
As the parachutist fell away, the open canopy became momentarily entangled with the aircraft's horizontal stabilizer. Despite this unusual interaction between the rigging and the tail section, the pilot maintained control of the airplane and executed a safe landing. The parachutist also landed safely under the deployed canopy, with no reported injuries to either the pilot or the skydiver involved in the incident.
The investigation
The primary focus of the examination was the sequence of events leading to the premature deployment. Investigators noted that the parachute had been pulled from its pack while the parachutist was still in proximity to the aircraft structure. The subsequent step onto the wing strut triggered full inflation, which physically removed the individual from the aircraft.
Findings
The incident highlights the dangers of premature parachute deployment during jump runs. The entanglement with the horizontal stabilizer was a secondary effect of the deployment but did not compromise the airworthiness of the aircraft or the safety of the pilot. Both the pilot and the parachutist were able to land safely, avoiding serious consequences despite the chaotic nature of the event.
Safety message
Skydivers must ensure their parachutes remain securely packed until they are ready to exit the aircraft. Premature deployment can lead to dangerous entanglements with the aircraft structure or other skydivers, posing risks to everyone involved in the operation.