What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 10/27/2013 privacy data omitted conducted her 3rd solo skydive with independent skydive company of Boulder Colorado. Upon exiting the aircraft her main parachute deployed, after grabbing the steering toggles and inspecting the canopy, she believed a malfunctioned occurred because ?it appeared to be too small?. She followed the emergency procedure by pulling the reserve static line (rsl) handle which releases the main canopy then deploys the reserve canopy. When the rsl handle was pulled, it released one side of the main canopy risers but not the other. privacy data omitted Entered a spiral accelerated decent. Realizing the main parachute did not fully detach and the reserve parachute had not deployed, she then pulled on the reserve deployment handle. Due to the spiraling decent and low altitude she contacted the ground prior to the reserve parachute fully deploying.
Witnesses on the ground stated the main canopy was fully deployed and appeared to be functioning correctly. privacy data omitted Jump instructor who assisted her out of the aircraft stated ?her chute opened immediately and it was uneventful?.
The parachute assembly was inspected by FAA inspectors and a local FAA designated parachute rigger examiner (dpre). Specific attention was focused on the rigging of the rsl system. Per the manufactures instructions the rsl cables are set at different lengths to insure proper departure of the main canopy prior to the reserve parachute deploying (one side departs just prior to the side attached to the reserve parachute). Detailed inspection of the parachute assembly found no anomalies and everything within manufactures specifications.
In conclusion of the investigation it appears the jumper did not fully pull out the rsl handle, causing one side of the main parachute to be released and not the other. This caused a partial canopy collapse and the spiral effect for the jumper. Since the side that did not detach had the rsl the reserve parachute did not deploy. No regulatory violations found, case closed.
As the FAA filed it
ON 10/27/2013 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONDUCTED HER 3RD SOLO SKYDIVE WITH INDEPENDENT SKYDIVE COMPANY OF BOULDER COLORADO. UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT HER MAIN PARACHUTE DEPLOYED, AFTER GRABBING THE STEERING TOGGLES AND INSPECTING THE CANOPY, SHE BELIEVED A MALFUNCTIONED OCCURRED BECAUSE ?IT APPEARED TO BE TOO SMALL?. SHE FOLLOWED THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE BY PULLING THE RESERVE STATIC LINE (RSL) HANDLE WHICH RELEASES THE MAIN CANOPY THEN DEPLOYS THE RESERVE CANOPY. WHEN THE RSL HANDLE WAS PULLED, IT RELEASED ONE SIDE OF THE MAIN CANOPY RISERS BUT NOT THE OTHER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ENTERED A SPIRAL ACCELERATED DECENT. REALIZING THE MAIN PARACHUTE DID NOT FULLY DETACH AND THE RESERVE PARACHUTE HAD NOT DEPLOYED, SHE THEN PULLED ON THE RESERVE DEPLOYMENT HANDLE. DUE TO THE SPIRALING DECENT AND LOW ALTITUDE SHE CONTACTED THE GROUND PRIOR TO THE RESERVE PARACHUTE FULLY DEPLOYING.
WITNESSES ON THE GROUND STATED THE MAIN CANOPY WAS FULLY DEPLOYED AND APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ JUMP INSTRUCTOR WHO ASSISTED HER OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT STATED ?HER CHUTE OPENED IMMEDIATELY AND IT WAS UNEVENTFUL?.
THE PARACHUTE ASSEMBLY WAS INSPECTED BY FAA INSPECTORS AND A LOCAL FAA DESIGNATED PARACHUTE RIGGER EXAMINER (DPRE). SPECIFIC ATTENTION WAS FOCUSED ON THE RIGGING OF THE RSL SYSTEM. PER THE MANUFACTURES INSTRUCTIONS THE RSL CABLES ARE SET AT DIFFERENT LENGTHS TO INSURE PROPER DEPARTURE OF THE MAIN CANOPY PRIOR TO THE RESERVE PARACHUTE DEPLOYING (ONE SIDE DEPARTS JUST PRIOR TO THE SIDE ATTACHED TO THE RESERVE PARACHUTE). DETAILED INSPECTION OF THE PARACHUTE ASSEMBLY FOUND NO ANOMALIES AND EVERYTHING WITHIN MANUFACTURES SPECIFICATIONS.
IN CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION IT APPEARS THE JUMPER DID NOT FULLY PULL OUT THE RSL HANDLE, CAUSING ONE SIDE OF THE MAIN PARACHUTE TO BE RELEASED AND NOT THE OTHER. THIS CAUSED A PARTIAL CANOPY COLLAPSE AND THE SPIRAL EFFECT FOR THE JUMPER. SINCE THE SIDE THAT DID NOT DETACH HAD THE RSL THE RESERVE PARACHUTE DID NOT DEPLOY. NO REGULATORY VIOLATIONS FOUND, CASE CLOSED.
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