What happened
On August 16, 2002, a fatal skydiving accident occurred during training activities at Immolan aerodrome in Imatra, Finland. The accident involved a student skydiver performing his first mandatory deployment jump as part of a basic training course organized by Skydive Karjala Ry. The jump was conducted from a Cessna 206, registration OH-CSU.
As the student exited the aircraft, his body posture was slightly incorrect, characterized by an upward thrust and a forward tilt toward a head-down position rather than the intended 45-degree angle. Additionally, his legs were positioned very close together. During the deployment of the main parachute, a suspension line became entangled with the student's left leg, just below the knee. This entanglement caused the main canopy to malfunction and enter a rapid spinning motion.
Although the student attempted to execute emergency reserve procedures, the spinning main canopy caused the reserve deployment lines to become jammed between the entangled suspension line and the student's leg. This prevented the reserve parachute from fully deploying from its container. The student struck the ground with high velocity, resulting in one fatality.