I had radio contact at 3,000 feet telling me to turn right. This put me on a path back behind the hangar heading toward the field of the mean farmer - not everyone loves skydivers. During our ground training, we were told to avoid Farmer McNasty's property. At 2,000 feet, I was still headed in that direction. I was wondering if the radio guy was going to give me more advice. I was pretty far away from my 1,000 point mark. I turned myself around and headed back toward the drop zone to enter my landing pattern.

ERROR 1: I forgot to look at the tetrahedron. The wind had changed direction.

The tetrahedron is a device used to indicate which direction the wind is blowing. I proceeded with my original landing pattern which resulted in a downwind (flying in the direction of the wind) final approach - not good. The final approach should be into or against the wind causing a slower canopy speed. If I had looked at the tetrahedron, I would have known to change my approach. There was no radio guidance. It seemed like they completely forgot about me. I was on my final approach when the radio assistance came along. "Right turn, right turn".

I didn't know that I was landing downwind. It didn't occur to me that my landing pattern should be different. "Right turn, right turn, " the radio guy was trying to get me turned around. There were concrete pipes - next to the tetrahedron. Why are there concrete pipes in my landing area? "Right turn, right turn".

My brain was telling me not to turn because I didn't think I was supposed to be turning under 300 feet. I noticed a wooden stake in the ground. I went into sensory overload.

ERROR 2: I flared too early because I was watching the concrete pipes and the stake on the ground.

I prepared for a PLF (a parachute landing fall) and landed hard on my ass. I don't know how, but I managed to break half my fingernails (not fake-my real nails) and I scraped my knuckles.

Should I have gone with my gut instincts and not made the turns? I would have landed in the dirt pile - it would have been a downwind landing. Would that have been ok? 

After I landed, my instructor told me that I got some bad radio advice. He would have instructed me to land downwind instead of trying to get me turned around. 

I'm learning some of this the hard way. I won't forget to look at the tetrahedron next time! One of the other jumpers took a picture of me before my landing. Check out the airplane!