What happened
On September 23, 2012, a student skydiver was performing their seventh training jump at Aleksandrowice Airport (EPBA). The jump was a tethered descent from 1,000 meters, serving as a final check before the student was permitted to perform solo openings. After exiting the aircraft, the Mars 330 parachute deployed correctly, and both the instructor on the ground and the person deploying the jumper observed no initial issues with the canopy inflation.
Approximately three minutes into the descent, at an altitude of roughly 5 and 500 meters, the student decided to cut away the main canopy due to difficulties with steering. During this process, the student likely engaged the Reserve Static Line (RSL) system. Following the cutaway, the student was unable to locate the reserve parachute handle. The descent continued until the Virgil automatic activation device (AAD) triggered, deploying the reserve parachute. The student landed safely on a work area of the airfield with no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the equipment used and the student's actions during the emergency. An inspection of the parachute container revealed that several components of the RSL carabiner—specifically the carabiner strap, the securing pin, and the spring—were missing. It was determined that the student likely applied excessive force to the carabiner strap, causing the pin to be pulled from its housing.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the student's improper judgment and poor decision-making during the emergency.
- The student delayed the decision to cut away the main canopy for too long, leading to a chaotic response while already at the critical altitude requiring reserve deployment.
- There was a possibility that a control line had become wrapped around the riser, which may have caused the steering difficulties.
- The student failed to follow proper procedures for transitioning their gaze from the cutaway handle to the reserve deployment handle, which prevented them from locating the reserve handle after the main canopy was released.
- The student's lack of experience was a contributing factor.
Safety action
Following the incident, the operator reviewed the event with all participating skydivers. A thorough inspection of the RSL systems in all active parachutes was conducted, and no malfunctions were found. Additionally, the operator implemented extra training sessions focusing on parachute construction, emergency procedures, and simulated drills using a parachute model to practice the transition between cutaway and reserve deployment.