What happened
On the afternoon of April 19, 1997, a student skydiver participated in his first jump at the Räyskälä airfield in Lopen kunta. The jump took place following a delay caused by weather conditions, specifically snow showers. The student was part of a load in a Cessna Reims Rocket C172, registration OH-CNB, which included a jumpmaster and three students.
During the descent, the student was being guided via radio by a radio instructor trainee, under the supervision of a qualified radio instructor. While the parachute deployment and initial maneuvering proceeded normally, the student was flying slightly with a crosswind at an altitude of approximately 50 meters. Due to the low altitude, the instructors decided not to maneuver the student back into a precise headwind.
As the student approached the ground, the radio command for the final flare ("now") was delayed because the radio instructor trainee had to repeat the command through the radio system. Consequently, the student landed at a high forward speed with legs extended rather than in the proper landing position. The momentum caused the student to perform a forward somers/roll upon impact, landing heavily on his shoulders. The student suffered a broken seventh thoracic vertebra.