What happened
On June 16, 2015, a student skydiver performing their first-ever jump experienced an incident during a descent from 1,200 meters. Upon exiting the aircraft, the student failed to maintain the correct body position, which caused the body to rotate and subsequently resulted in the twisting of the parachute lines during deployment.
As the lines untwisted, the Navigator 260 parachute began to spin. At an altitude of approximately 700 meters, the student checked their altitude and, following established emergency procedures, deployed the reserve parachute. The student landed safely within the designated landing zone at the Olsztyn (EPOD) aerodrome. Following this incident, the student successfully completed four subsequent jumps on the same day.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted by the training organizer, examined the student's actions and the condition of the equipment. The student reported that upon noticing the twisted lines, they grabbed the risers near the control handles. An inspection of the main canopy revealed that one of the steering lines had been released. It was determined that the student's attempt to correct the line twists unintentionally caused the release of the steering line, which led to the canopy's rotation once the lines had untwisted. The investigation confirmed that the student followed the correct emergency decision-making protocol by initiating the reserve deployment above the organizer's mandatory decision altitude of 600 meters.
Findings
- The primary cause of the line twists was the student's incorrect body position during the exit from the aircraft.
- The rotation of the parachute canopy was caused by the unintentional release of a steering line while the student was attempting to rectify the line twists.