What happened
On 7 August 2010, an experienced skydiver, with over 2,500 jumps to his credit, was participating in a camera dive at Aerofarm Harrismith, Free State. The mission involved filming a tandem pair of jumpers from an altitude of 10,000ft AGL. Following his standard procedure, the parachutist performed a barrel roll to capture the tandem opening at 5,500ft A ground level and deployed his Heatwave 150 main canopy at 3,500ft AGL.
After an initial period of stable flight, the parachutist entered a clockwise spiral at approximately 1,000ft AGL. This descent became increasingly steep, with the parachutist eventually positioned nearly level with the canopy. Witnesses observed the activation of the reserve parachute at roughly 200ft AGL. Although the reserve cleared its free bag, it failed to fully inflate. The parachutist struck the ground while still in a full spiral, resulting in one fatality.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the equipment, the flight sequence, and the environmental conditions. The investigation confirmed that the weather was fine and did not contribute to the accident. The parachute equipment, including the Heatwave 150 main canopy and the Tempo 150 reserve, was found to be in serviceable condition.
Data from the parachutist's wrist-mounted altimeter confirmed that the reserve parachute was activated at an altitude of only 260ft AGL. Investigators also noted that the parachutist had not performed his standard post-opening procedures, such as collapsing the slider or un-stowing steering toggles. Additionally, there was no attempt made to execute emergency procedures, specifically the cutting away of the main canopy prior to reserve deployment.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the delayed deployment of the reserve parachute.
- The activation of the reserve occurred at an altitude too low to allow for full inflation and stabilization.
- The parachutist failed to follow established emergency protocols, such as cutting away the main canopy.
- The descent into a high-speed spiral prevented the timely execution of safety maneuvers.