A Special Forces paratrooper of the Parachute Regiment died last Thursday after his parachute failed to open mid-air while he was undergoing Basic Combat Freefall Course with Parachute Training School, IAF, Agra, being conducted under the aegis if Army Airborne Training School, Agra.
The incident happened when 26-year-old Hardeep Singh, belonging to the 11 PARA SF battalion of the Parachute Regiment, jumped from 9000 ft and initially had to do a cut away of his main parachute.
Thereafter while he was deploying his reserve chute, it got entangled in his hand and failed to deploy. He hit the ground with a massive force. Singh was rushed to military hospital Agra where he succumbed to his injuries.
Hardeep Singh, hailed from Patiala in Punjab, and had served in the Army for over five years and was posted with 11 SF somewhere in North East. He was part of a group of 40 men undergoing a basic free-fall jump course.
Only in March this year, another paratrooper Sunil Kumar had also died at Malpura in a similar accident. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to find out the cause of failure. As per orders all basic jumps are required to be shot through a video from inside the aircraft.
This is done to analyse the jump sequence and the sequence of parachute opening. Any technical fault will come out but by careful analysis of such videos. This is most essential to prevent accidents and future loss of life.
