L2023-01 Paratrooper accidents in Ivalo 7.3.2023

Two conscript paratroopers were injured during an airborne training exercise that was part of the Winter Eagle 23 exercise of the Finnish Army in Ivalo on March 7, 2023. They were performing static line jumps from an NH90 helicopter. In this mode of operation, a static line attaches the main parachute to an anchor line cable installed in the helicopter floor, and the parachute self-deploys during exit. Both injured jumpers had routed the static line incorrectly around his left arm. Therefore, when they exited the helicopter, the line wrapped around the biceps causing a forceful abduction. The first jumper sustained serious upper arm injury, which required operative treatment and led to the termination of his military service. The second jumper also sustained upper arm injury but was able to return to duty.

The exercise participants carried a bulky, fully packed, heavy airborne rucksack. They had not jumped with a rucksack of such size before, and the weight and dimensions of the equipment hampered movement in the confined interior of the helicopter. Furthermore, they had little experience of helicopter jump operations because the focus of their training had been on jumps from fixed-wing aircraft. A ground trainer that replicates the interior of a fixed-wing aircraft was in use at their unit, but an equivalent device for rotary-wing operation was not available. In the NH90, static lines are attached to an anchor line cable that runs along the cabin floor, while in fixed-wing aircraft the cable is roof-mounted.

Incorrect routing of the static line is a rare occurrence, but because the reported cases and mechanism of injury are almost invariably identical, comprehensive documentation on the topic is available. Research has shown that static line injuries often require operative treatment. A total of 94 incidents or anomalies related to paratrooper operations had been reported in the Finnish Defense Forces over the past seven years. In eight of these, the static line had wrapped around the jumper's arm. In five cases, this had resulted in ruptures in the jumper's arm, and in one case operative treatment had been necessary. However, injuries caused by static line entanglement had not been taken into account during exercise risk assessments.

To enhance safety, the Safety Investigation Authority Finland recommends that

• Utti Jaeger Regiment improves jump training procedures for the NH90 helicopter.
• Army Command Finland ensures that the contents and efficiency of the quality system for parachute operations is subjected to regular verification, for which a more comprehensive audit system will be needed.
• Air Force Command Finland and Army Command Finland undertake a join effort to support Utti Jaeger Regiment in the development of safety management and safety procedures, ensure the availability of adequate resources and train operations personnel in the basics of safety management.