What happened
On July 22, 2018, at approximately 19:35 local time, a student skydiver was performing their 36th jump, which was the second jump of the day as part of a training program. The jump was conducted from an altitude of 3,500 meters using a Silhouette-260 parachute. The separation from the aircraft was executed correctly, and the main parachute deployed at an altitude of 1,200 meters.
While the descent remained error-free until an altitude of 500 meters, the student subsequently failed to execute a proper landing pattern. The skydiver drifted approximately 100 meters beyond the designated landing zone for student parachutes. At an altitude between 120 and 100 meters, the student positioned themselves into the wind but delayed the parachute flare until approximately 2 meters above the ground. During the final touchdown, the student adopted an improper body position. In an attempt to avoid a metal fence post, the student spread their legs, causing their feet to strike the wire mesh fence and become trapped between the mesh and a concrete foundation. The impact resulted in open fractures to both ankles.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight sequence, the student's experience, and the equipment used. It was established that the atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident did not contribute to the event. The investigation focused on the student's maneuvering during the final stages of the descent and the interaction with ground obstacles.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was errors in the student's landing pattern technique, specifically drifting outside the established landing zone for training parachutes.
- The student failed to properly assess the distance to ground obstacles.
- The parachute flare was performed at an insufficient altitude.
- The student's landing posture and attempt to maneuver around a fence post directly led to the entrapment of the lower limbs.