What happened
On June 11, 2016, a tandem skydive was being conducted from an altitude of 4,000 meters using an SMG-92 aircraft. The jump proceeded normally until the deployment phase of the Icarus tandem 330 parachute. During the opening process, the suspension lines became twisted. Despite efforts to untwist the lines, the malfunction persisted. The skydiver successfully executed emergency procedures, deploying the reserve parachute, which allowed both the instructor and the passenger to land safely on the operational part of the Michałków (EPOM) airfield.
The investigation
An investigation was conducted by the jump organizer. The examination of the deployed canopy and a review of video footage were used to determine the mechanics of the failure. The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the canopy cover during the deployment sequence.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the breakage of two rubber rings on the canopy cover.
- This breakage allowed the suspension lines to become unthreaded from the cover.
- The resulting unthreading caused the canopy cover to rotate during the deployment process, leading to the twisting of the suspension lines.