What happened
On May 3, 1997, a two-person formation jump was conducted from an AN-2 T aircraft at an altitude of 2,500 meters. During the descent, the jumpers separated at approximately 800 meters. The first jumper successfully deployed their main parachute between 800 and 700 meters and landed without incident.
The second jumper failed to deploy their main parachute. At approximately 230 meters, the reserve parachute, a SPEKON Style 170, was activated via both an automatic activation device and manual input. However, the reserve canopy experienced a malfunction during deployment. The resulting hard impact caused serious injuries to the skydiver and minor damage to the reserve equipment.
The investigation
The BFU investigation reconstructed the event using witness statements, the skydiver's testimony, and an examination of the parachute system. The skydiver, who held a valid license and had completed approximately 440 jumps since 1992, reported no prior health issues but could not recall their specific actions during the jump.
Investigators examined the main parachute (a SPEKON Style 210) and found it to be in functional condition with no mechanical defects; notably, the hand deployment device remained in its container, indicating it had not been used. The reserve parachute was examined following its activation by the Cypres automatic device at 225 meters. The investigation found significant burn and damage marks on the reserve canopy.
Findings
- The investigation ruled out adverse weather conditions, technical defects in the parachute equipment, or third-party interference.
- The primary cause of the malfunction was an unstable body position at the moment of reserve deployment.
- This instability caused a line over (line wrap), where the suspension lines slid under the slider, causing longitudinal and transverse twisting of eight lines.
- This twisting blocked the slider in the upper third of the canopy, preventing a full inflation.
- The skydiver failed to activate the main parachute for reasons that could not be definitively determined.