What happened
On August 22, 2018, a group of paraglider pilots gathered near Żółtki, Poland, for recreational flying. At approximately 13:00 local time, a pilot began their second flight of the day using a winch launch. After reaching a maximum altitude of approximately 387 meters above ground level, the pilot released the tow line.
During the flight, the pilot performed gentle turns in the vicinity of the launch site. At the eight-minute mark, the aircraft was at an altitude of roughly 100 meters traveling at 24 km/h. The pilot then initiated a climb, reaching 118 meters at a speed of 14 km/h. While executing a turn, the NOVA MAMBO M wing partially collapsed, causing the aircraft to enter a spiral dive.
During the descent, the pilot attempted to deploy the reserve parachute. However, the pilot failed to successfully pull the safety pins. As a result, the reserve parachute was not deployed, and the pilot impacted the ground with a maximum vertical descent rate of 10.5 m/s and a forward speed of 8 km/h. The pilot sustained multiple injuries and was airlifted by an emergency medical helicopter to a hospital in Białystok.
The investigation
The PKBWL examined the paraglider and the reserve parachute following the accident. The technical inspection of both the NOVA MAMBO M wing and the reserve parachute revealed no mechanical or structural irregularities; both components were found to be in proper working order.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was excessive use of the brake during a turn, which resulted in the wing stalling.
- The reserve parachute failed to deploy because the pilot used incorrect technique when attempting to pull the deployment handles. Instead of pulling the handles alongside the body, the pilot pulled them backward, which prevented the release of one of the safety pins.
- Investigation of the safety pins showed they could be removed without resistance, confirming that the failure to deploy was due to improper handling rather than a mechanical malfunction.