What happened
On April 16, 2016, a tandem skydiver performed a jump with a passenger near the Chrcynno landing field (EPNC). The separation from the aircraft and the initial deployment of the drogue parachute proceeded normally. However, at an altitude of approximately 1,700 to 1,800 meters, the skydiver attempted to pull the left deployment handle but found it stuck.
After three unsuccessful attempts to pull the left handle, the skydiver reached for the second deployment handle located on the right strap of the harness. While attempting to pull this second handle with increased force, the skydiver unintentionally caught a finger in the loop used for releasing the main canopy risers. This action, combined with the heavy pulling force, caused the drogue to release and initiated the opening of the main canopy. Simultaneously, the release of the three-pronged locks triggered the Reserve Skyhook System (RSL), which deployed the reserve parachute. The skydiver and passenger landed safely on the landing field.
The investigation
Following the incident, the skydiver and the packer conducted ground tests using the Hop 330 tandem parachute, which had been packed into a Next container/harness system. The investigation established that while the canopy was packed correctly, errors occurred during the attachment of the drogue.
Testing revealed that when the drogue was pulled with a force of approximately 295 N, both handles could be extracted if gripped with two fingers. The investigation found that the packer, who was being trained on this specific system by the skydiver, had been performing the packing without errors until the drogue attachment phase. The skydiver admitted that due to a 1.5-hour break prior to the jump, they had failed to perform their routine one-minute pre-jump check of the drogue attachment. Additionally, the skydiver noted that wearing thick gloves reduced tactile sensitivity, contributing to the accidental activation of the riser release loop during the struggle to open the main canopy.
Findings
- Improper packing of the drogue resulted in the blockage of the main canopy deployment handles.
- Failure to perform a pre-jump inspection of the parachute configuration before donning the equipment.
- The packer's insufficient training in independently packing this specific parachute system acted as a contributing factor.