What happened
On 8 March 2024, a commercial skydiving operation involving a DHC-6-400 aircraft, registration A6-SD1, departed from the Skydive Desert Drop Zone in Margham, Dubai. The flight carried one pilot and 19 passengers. During the mission, an experienced instructor was performing his fifth jump of the day while supervising a student.
While executing a standard landing procedure involving a 360-degree left spiral turn, the instructor's parachute canopy suffered a catastrophic failure. The A2-lines on both sides of the canopy disintegrated from the container, causing the parachute to collapse and sending the instructor into an uncontrolled freefall. The instructor impacted the ground approximately eight seconds after the line breakage. Despite receiving immediate first aid from ground personnel and being airlifted to Rashid Hospital, the instructor succumbed to multiple injuries, including severe chest trauma and internal bleeding.
The investigation
Investigators from the GCAA AAIS examined the equipment and flight data, including video footage from a helmet-mounted camera. The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the AirWolf2 main canopy and its suspension lines. The inquiry reviewed the maintenance history of the equipment, noting that the instructor was using a borrowed canopy because his personal equipment had been grounded due to worn lines.
Technical analysis of the video footage confirmed that the lines exhibited visible signs of deterioration. The investigation also reviewed the club's equipment registration processes and the inspection protocols followed by both the instructor and the riggers.