What happened
On August 1, 2015, a student skydiver was performing a training jump at the Radawiec airport (EPLR). The individual, who had completed 20 previous jumps, was executing a mission at an altitude of 1,200 meters using a PD Student 280 parachute.
While the student successfully separated from the aircraft, they moved their hands toward their face shortly after deployment. This movement caused the student to enter a head-down descent. During the deployment sequence, the student was positioned head-down with a slight tilt toward their back. As the parachute began to open, the lines rubbed against the student's legs, which likely interfered with the full deployment of the main canopy.
Recognizing the malfunction, the student manually released the main parachute and deployed the reserve parachute. The reserve canopy inflated correctly at approximately 900 meters, allowing the student to land safely at the airfield.
The investigation
The investigation was conducted by the training organizer. The inquiry focused on the student's body positioning and the physical interaction between the parachute lines and the student's limbs during the deployment phase.