What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On approximately 08/30/2015 parachutist experienced a partial malfunction to the main canopy (possibly a line-over) at approximately 3000 feet altitude. Witness accounts describe at least two 360 turns to the right.
It is likely the parachutist pulled the ?reserve handle? Part way out without first cutting away the main chute. That caused the partial deployment of only one of the two sets of risers. Causing the reserve drag chute and lanyard became entangled and spiral into the main chute. Then the parachutist pulled the emergency reserve at a very low altitude caused the main canopy to fully collapse making the parachutist to accelerate into the ground. The parachutist was fatally injured.
The out of order sequence of events appears the chute was not fully cut away when the reserve chute was attempted to be deployed.
As the FAA filed it
ON APPROXIMATELY 08/30/2015 PARACHUTIST EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL MALFUNCTION TO THE MAIN CANOPY (POSSIBLY A LINE-OVER) AT APPROXIMATELY 3000 FEET ALTITUDE. WITNESS ACCOUNTS DESCRIBE AT LEAST TWO 360 TURNS TO THE RIGHT.
IT IS LIKELY THE PARACHUTIST PULLED THE ?RESERVE HANDLE? PART WAY OUT WITHOUT FIRST CUTTING AWAY THE MAIN CHUTE. THAT CAUSED THE PARTIAL DEPLOYMENT OF ONLY ONE OF THE TWO SETS OF RISERS. CAUSING THE RESERVE DRAG CHUTE AND LANYARD BECAME ENTANGLED AND SPIRAL INTO THE MAIN CHUTE. THEN THE PARACHUTIST PULLED THE EMERGENCY RESERVE AT A VERY LOW ALTITUDE CAUSED THE MAIN CANOPY TO FULLY COLLAPSE MAKING THE PARACHUTIST TO ACCELERATE INTO THE GROUND. THE PARACHUTIST WAS FATALLY INJURED.
THE OUT OF ORDER SEQUENCE OF EVENTS APPEARS THE CHUTE WAS NOT FULLY CUT AWAY WHEN THE RESERVE CHUTE WAS ATTEMPTED TO BE DEPLOYED.