Background
The accident occurred during the Talvikotka 23 exercise conducted by the Finnish Army from February 27 to March 17, 2023, on the Rovajärvi training area. As part of the exercise, paratrooper company conscripts performed terrain jumps in the Ivalo area. The jumps were made from NH90 helicopters, with each jumper carrying a fully packed, large, and heavy mission rucksack.
Events Leading to the Accident
The helicopters departed from Ivalo airport at approximately 13:00. Each helicopter carried a crew of three, two jumpmasters, two instructors, and either five or six conscripts. Due to the large size of the rucksacks, movement inside the helicopter was difficult, and the heavy rucksacks dragged along the floor. The cramped interior forced conscripts to sit sideways and tightly interlocked.
As the helicopters arrived at the drop zone, jumpers were ordered to stand up and indicate readiness. Jumpmasters were responsible for attaching the static line hooks to the cable on the floor and ensuring proper routing of the static line. However, because of the large rucksacks and tight spacing, jumpmasters could not see whether the static line followed the correct path. They had to assist conscripts in moving within the helicopter with their large rucksacks.
Accident Details
In the first helicopter, conscript A was the last to jump. He held the static line with a bouquet grip, but the line passed on the wrong side of his arm. His large rucksack made it difficult to move toward the rear door, and his jumping posture was not optimal.
Before exiting, the static line ran incorrectly on the inside of his left arm and wrapped around his arm during the jump. The line violently tore his arm, causing his hand to hang limp in the airstream. Before landing, he dropped the rucksack suspended by a line and performed a normal landing. He then released his harness with one hand.
Injuries
Two conscripts were injured in the accident. The specific injuries of conscript B were not detailed in the source.