What happened
On August 29, 2015, a skydiver with 480 previous jumps performed a descent from an altitude of 1,500 meters at the EPRU landing field in Rudniki. The initial phase of the jump proceeded without incident until the deployment of the main parachute, a Cayenne 150.
Upon the opening of the main canopy, the skydiver observed that a suspension line was passing over the top of the parachute, causing a deformation known as a "cauliflower" effect. This malfunction caused the parachute to spin uncontrollably on its horizontal axis. In response to the instability, the skydistress procedure was initiated: the skydiver manually jettisoned the main canopy and deployed the reserve parachute. The descent concluded with a successful landing.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanics of the parachute deployment and the state of the equipment. While the specific technical cause of the line entanglement was not definitively established, the investigation examined the deployment sequence and the physical behavior of the Cayenne 150 during the malfunction.