What happened
On August 15, 2015, a skydiver with extensive experience, including approximately 600 wingsuit jumps, performed a jump from an altitude of 3,000 meters near Olsztyn. The individual had personally packed the Sabre 135 parachute prior to the jump. After following a predetermined flight path, the skydiver deployed the parachute at an altitude of 1,000 meters.
At approximately 850 meters, the skydiver encountered a line twist that was obstructed by the slider. The canopy failed to rotate and instead drifted steadily eastward, away from the airfield. The skydiver attempted to clear the slider and untwist the lines, but these efforts were unsuccessful. As the altitude dropped toward 500 meters and the drift continued away from the landing zone, the skydiver executed emergency procedures by cutting away the main canopy and deploying the reserve parachute. The reserve canopy inflated correctly at 350 meters, allowing for a landing approximately 800 meters east of the airfield boundary.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of the deployment process and the aerodynamic conditions present during the jump. The inquiry focused on the interaction between the wingsuit's aerodynamic profile and the parachute deployment sequence. The investigation established that the turbulence created by the skydiver's body in the wingsuit likely interfered with the canopy's inflation.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the disturbance of the parachute deployment process caused by aerodynamic turbulence generated behind the skydiver while wearing a wingsuit.
- The skydiver's experience level and the successful deployment of the reserve parachute were noted.
- The investigation noted that during wingsuit jumps, deployment disruptions can be triggered by insufficient reduction of forward speed or slight body asymmetry during the deployment pull.