What happened
On June 14, 2020, a skydiver was performing a jump from an altitude of 1,200 m AGL at the Pruszcz Gdański (EP11) airfield. The jumper was using a Stiletto 120 parachute. The jump proceeded normally following the exit from the aircraft, and the skydiver began preparing for landing at an altitude of approximately 300 m.
As the skydiver approached the landing area, positioned roughly 140 m from a hangar, they entered a zone of turbulence caused by the building. At an altitude of approximately 10 m, a sudden vertical wind gust caused a rapid increase in the downward vertical velocity. This resulted in a high-impact landing approximately 70 m from the hangar. The skydiver sustained fractures to the TH12 and L2 vertebrae and was transported to a hospital via ambulance.
The investigation
The PKBWL examined the circumstances surrounding the landing, specifically focusing on the wind conditions and the proximity of the landing path to the hangar structure. The investigation analyzed the impact of the wind direction and the resulting turbulence encountered during the final stages of the descent.