Overview
On 15 July 2023, at approximately 12:20 local time, a student parachutist using an Equinox 259 parachute was conducting an AFF1 (Accelerated Freefall Level 1) jump at the Chrycynno landing site (EPNC). The jump was supervised by two instructors.
Sequence of Events
During the initial freefall phase, the student responded correctly to radio signals from the instructors. The deployment of the main canopy occurred normally. After the canopy opened, however, the student failed to unbrake one of the control lines. This asymmetry caused the parachute to enter a spiral descent.
Despite attempts by one of the instructors to assist via radio communication, the student did not react to the commands and did not execute the emergency procedure. As a result, the parachutist descended rapidly and collided with a garden gazebo located at the edge of the landing area. The impact caused a head injury, and the student was transported to a hospital.
Cause
The accident was attributed to the student's failure to symmetrically unbrake the parachute's control lines after deployment.
Safety Recommendations
The investigating body proposed that training programs place increased emphasis on practical exercises for symmetrical unbraking of control lines after canopy opening, as well as on emergency procedures for similar scenarios. Additionally, it recommended that AFF training incorporate practical unbraking drills using a real school parachute, rather than relying solely on a training parachute with a mock-up.