What happened
On May 24, 2015, a student skydiver participated in a training jump from an altitude of 1,200 meters at the Krępa Słupska aerodrome (EPSK). The student had completed theoretical and ground training on May 22–23, 2015, and passed the theoretical examination on May 24, 2014. Following a briefing by an instructor regarding the jump task and execution, the student exited the aircraft. The parachute opened automatically and functioned correctly upon separation from the aircraft.
During the descent, the student followed radio instructions to navigate toward a designated landing zone. As the student approached the landing area, amidst wind speeds of 3–4 m/s, a radio instruction was issued to pull the control lines. The student later stated that although the instruction was heard, it was not executed due to an incorrect assessment of flight altitude and velocity. Upon impact, the student's legs were positioned wide apart, leading to a fatal outcome.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation established that while the student was being guided via radio, the person providing the instructions was an experienced skydiver who did not hold instructor qualifications. At the time of the accident, the primary instructor responsible for supervising the student was performing a separate AFF (Accelerated Freefall) jump with another student.
Findings
- The student failed to level the parachute flight path prior to landing.
- The student adopted an improper body posture for the landing.
- The student failed to execute a specific radio instruction regarding control line manipulation due to poor altitude and speed estimation.
- Instructions were being provided to the student by an individual lacking the necessary instructor credentials.