What happened
On June 5, 2011, at approximately 09:35 UTC, a fatal skydiving accident occurred near the Most airport (LKMO) in the Czech Republic. The incident involved a highly experienced female videographer performing a specialized jump from an altitude of 4,000 meters AGL.
The aircraft, a PAC 750 XL with registration OK-SKW, had completed three successful jumps earlier that morning. During the fourth jump, the videographer exited the aircraft alongside a tandem instructor and a passenger. The videographer was positioned to film the tandem pair closely. Following the exit, the tandem pilot deployed his deployment bag to stabilize the group, and the vide and tandem pair maintained close proximity for filming purposes.
Video evidence recovered from the videographer's helmet camera shows that the tandem pilot opened his main parachute, but the videographer did not initiate any deployment of her own equipment. The camera recorded the landscape for approximately 12 seconds before the impact with the ground. The videographer was located by search teams approximately 26 hours later in heavily wooded, difficult terrain, roughly 1,150 meters from the airport reference point. The impact resulted in fatal injuries.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation focused on the functionality of the parachute equipment, the pilot's actions, and the environmental conditions. Investigators analyzed digital video and photographic evidence from the videographer's helmet camera, which documented 12 previous jumps that day, all of which were performed successfully.
Technical inspections of the parachute system, including the main parachute, reserve parachute, and harness, revealed that all components were in good working order and properly packed. The deployment handles for both the main and reserve parachutes were found in their original positions, indicating they had not been pulled. The investigation also examined the Cypres AAD 1 Expert automatic activation device. While the device was found to be functional, evidence suggested it was likely switched off at the time of the accident, which prevented it from automatically deploying the reserve parachute at the critical altitude.
Findings
- The videographer was an extremely experienced jumper with a category 'D' qualification and 1,292 total jumps.
- The parachute equipment and harness were fully compliant with regulations and were properly configured.
- The meteorological conditions were favorable for skydiving, with winds within safe limits.
- The failure to activate either the main or reserve parachute was the primary cause of the accident.
- The automatic activation device (AAD) was likely not activated, meaning it could not assist in the deployment of the reserve parachute during the descent.