Keep an Eye Out | A Big Mess
USPA Staff
This jumper deployed his main parachute at approximately 3,500 feet, and it was immediately obvious the parachute had malfunctioned and would not inflate. He released the main parachute a few seconds after the deployment and opened his reserve parachute.
The exact cause of the malfunction was indeterminate. After this skydiver’s previous jump, he quickly field-packed the main parachute and had a packer repack it for him once he returned to the drop zone. Packing a parachute carefully according to the manufacturer’s instructions and ensuring that the four line-groups are clear will help it open correctly.