What happened
On July 14, 2019, at approximately 15:10, a student skydiver was performing a training jump from an An-2 aircraft. The jump was part of a series of five scheduled jumps, with the student utilizing a PD Student 300 parachute. The jump took place over the Radawiec (EPLR) airfield, operated by the Lublin Aero Club.
Following the exit from the aircraft at an altitude of 1,000 meters, the descent proceeded normally. The student initiated a headwind approach toward the center of the airfield, with ground winds measured at approximately 4 m/s. During the final 100 meters of the approach, the flight remained stable. As the student began the braking maneuver, the canopy reached an altitude of approximately 0.5 meters when a thermal gust suddenly lifted the canopy to about 2 meters. This gust caused the canopy and the student to descend toward the ground with increased vertical velocity.
Although the student landed with legs together, they failed to maintain a proper landing posture and struck the ground on their buttocks. While the student initially declined medical assistance and walked off the landing area unassisted, they requested a medical evaluation approximately 20 minutes later, reporting pain in the lower back and coccyx. Following an examination by on-site medical personnel and subsequent hospital imaging (X-ray and MRI), a vertebral injury involving a minor bone fragment was identified, though no neurological impairment was noted.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the final approach and the physical mechanics of the landing. The investigators examined the impact of environmental factors, specifically the thermal gust, and the student's physical response during the touchdown phase.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the incorrect landing posture adopted by the student.
- A thermal gust acted as a contributing factor by unexpectedly increasing the rate of descent during the final moments of the landing.