What happened
On September 9, 2018, at approximately 12:30, a student skydiver was performing their 30th jump as part of a specific training task (SL-2) from an altitude of 1,200 meters. After exiting the aircraft, the student descended normally for five seconds before initiating the deployment procedure for a PD Student 260 parachute.
During the deployment sequence, the student's body position shifted sideways toward the ground. This improper posture caused the parachute opening to become disturbed, resulting in a "cauliflower" malfunction, where several lines passed through the center of the canopy. While the parachute descended stably, it was not steerable. Following standard emergency procedures, the student disconnected the main canopy and deployed the reserve parachute at an altitude of approximately 700 meters, landing safely in the middle of the airfield.
The investigation
The investigation was conducted by the operator. The inquiry focused on the sequence of the deployment and the physical orientation of the skydiver at the moment of canopy inflation.