What happened
On May 21, 2014, a student skydiver was performing their third jump from a Cessna 206 at the Biała Aleksandrowice (EPBA) airfield. The jump was conducted at an altitude of 1,000 meters, with the parachute designed to open automatically via a deployment bag system.
During the exit from the aircraft, the student failed to maintain the correct body position, characterized by improper body curvature and a tilted head. This incorrect posture caused the student to enter a head-down descent. As the parachute lines deployed, the student's right leg became entangled in the lines. Once the canopy fully inflated, the student managed to free their leg, but discovered that the main parachute had not inflated properly due to lines being draped over the canopy, creating a "canopy malfunction" (often referred to as a cauliflower effect).
Following standard emergency procedures, the student manually jettisoned the main parachute and deployed the reserve parachute. The reserve canopy opened at approximately 800 meters, allowing for a controlled landing approximately 100 meters from the designated landing zone. The student sustained no injuries, and no damage to the parachute equipment was identified.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events from the moment of aircraft exit through the deployment of the reserve parachute. The investigators examined the student's physical positioning during the exit and the subsequent interaction between the deployment lines and the student's limbs.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was an error in jump technique, specifically an improper exit from the aircraft.
- The student's incorrect body posture led to a head-down orientation, which directly caused the parachute lines to entangle the student's right leg during the deployment process.
- This entanglement resulted in a malformed main canopy deployment.