What happened
On April 8, 2018, a skydiver was performing a jump near Leszno (EPLS) as part of their second jump of the day. The individual deployed from a Cessna 182 at an altitude of 1,000 meters using a Sabre 150 parachute. The separation from the aircraft, the deployment of the parachute, and the approach to the designated landing area were all completed without issue.
However, during the landing phase, the parachute momentarily lost steerability. This instability, likely triggered by a thermal wind gust, resulted in a hard landing on the ground.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted by the operator, examined the sequence of events leading to the impact. The review confirmed that the parachute deployment and the flight path toward the landing zone were performed correctly prior to the sudden loss of control.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the loss of parachute steerability during the landing phase.
- This loss of control was attributed to a thermal wind gust encountered at the moment of touchdown.
- The impact resulted in a broken leg for the skydiver.