What happened
On August 4, 2018, a student skydiver with 139 previous jumps performed a descent from an altitude of 4,000 meters. The initial exit from the Spadochron Navigator 240 and the subsequent freefall proceeded without incident. At approximately 1,200 meters, the student initiated the deployment of the main parachute canopy.
During the deployment process, the control lines became entangled with the main lines of the canopy. This malfunction resulted in the canopy inflating to only 80% capacity, which rendered the parachute uncontrollable. To rectify the situation, the student manually released the malfunctioning main canopy and deployed the reserve parachute. The landing was completed in the vicinity of the Piotrków Trybunalski (EPPT) airfield, and the student sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation was conducted by the aircraft operator. The review focused on the deployment sequence and the mechanical behavior of the parachute lines during the inflation of the main canopy.