What happened
On June 13, 2020, a skydiver participated in a jump from an altitude of 2,200 meters AGL at the Hořovice Aerodrome. The jump began normally, with the individual maintaining a stable belly-to-earth position during freefall. However, at approximately 1,200 meters, the skydiver failed to deploy the main parachute at the scheduled altitude, likely due to an inability to grasp the deployment handle.
Following this delay, the skydiver entered an unstable freefall. The main parachute, a SAFIRE 2-209, was eventually deployed at a dangerously low altitude of approximately 580 meters. Due to the unstable body position at the moment of deployment, the parachute opened improperly, immediately entering a violent left-hand spiral. The skydiver descended in this tight spiral at a vertical speed of approximately 18.5 m/s, striking the ground near a field path approximately 700 meters northeast of the aerodrome. The impact resulted in one fatality.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined the skydiver's equipment, flight logs, and video evidence from mobile phones and helmet cameras. The investigation also reviewed the technical state of the SAFIRE 2-209 parachute and the settings of the automatic activation device. Investigators analyzed the physical state of the parachute lines, noting damage to the right suspension line caused by the violent opening. The investigation also considered the skydiver's training, noting they held a valid category 'A' license and had completed 82 previous jumps.