What happened
On June 4, 2020, a licensed skydiver was performing their 276th jump, marking the third jump of the day, near the Białystok (EPBK) aerodrome. The skydiver exited the Magellan 150 aircraft at an altitude of 1,800 meters. After a 6-second freefall, the main parachute was deployed and inflated correctly.
However, upon releasing the steering toggles to stabilize the flight, the skydiver experienced uncontrolled rotations of the main canopy, which prevented a stable descent. At an altitude of approximately 900 meters, the skydiver initiated emergency procedures by cutting away the main parachute and deploying the reserve parachute. The reserve parachute deployed successfully, allowing the skydiver to land safely within the airfield's operational area.
The investigation
The investigation was conducted based on the final report submitted by the aircraft user. The PKBWL reviewed the sequence of events and the deployment of both the main and reserve parachutes to determine the source of the canopy instability.
Findings
The investigation determined that the formation of a knot on one of the parachute lines was the probable cause of the malfunction and subsequent uncontrolled rotation of the main canopy.