What happened
On August 25, 2001, at Kuopio Airport, a serious incident occurred during a scheduled skydiving session. A student skydiver was preparing for a jump by climbing onto the wing strut of a Cessna 182 F, registration OH-CCA. During this movement, the student's reserve parachute accidentally deployed.
The deployment caused the student to be violently pulled into the air. As the reserve parachute expanded, its lines struck the aircraft's right horizontal stabilizer. The force of the lines was sufficient to deflect the stabilizer tip by approximately 35 degrees and nearly tear the entire right elevator away from the aircraft. Despite the structural damage, the aircraft remained controllable and landed safely.
The student also experienced a complex deployment sequence where the main parachute partially deployed at 600 meters, causing the reserve parachute to descend into the student's legs. The student sustained minor injuries upon landing.
The investigation
OTKES investigators examined the parachute equipment, the aircraft's structural damage, and the training procedures of the local skydiving club. The investigation included a detailed inspection of the reserve parachute gear and an analysis of the student's climbing posture. Investigators also reviewed radio communications between the pilot and air traffic control, as well as the maintenance records of the aircraft.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the student's upright climbing position on the wing strut, which caused the reserve parachute container to press against the jump door protrusion. This pressure, combined with the student's movement, allowed the reserve parachute pins to release.
- The deployment was facilitated by improper parachute packing; the closing loops on the reserve container were 25–30 mm too long, resulting in a loose pack that required very little external force to release the pins.
- The jump master had observed the student using this unsafe climbing posture on a previous jump but failed to correct the behavior.
- The pilot's immediate focus following the impact was on radio communications with air traffic control, and no decision was made to execute an emergency landing or an emergency jump despite the visible damage.
Safety action
- The Finnish Skydiving Association should instruct training courses to emphasize the dangers of an upright climbing posture on wing struts.
- Standardized procedures for emergency situations during skydiving operations should be established in a national manual.
- The Civil Aviation Authority should mandate the use of a reserve parachute for jump aircraft where the jump door or potential entanglement hazards are at the same level as or lower than the horizontal stabilizer.