Arya News - An Australian skydiver was left dangling from the tail of a plane after his reserve parachute deployed early.
Credit: YouTube/@atsbgovau
An Australian skydiver was left dangling from the tail of a plane after his reserve parachute deployed early.
Footage shows the chute activating when its handle snagged on a wing flap near Cairns in Far North Queensland , leaving the jumper flailing beneath the aircraft.
The group had planned a 16-way formation at 15,000ft, filmed by a camera operator, but the out-of-control parachutist struck the cameraman, who ended up straddling the side of the plane.
Three other members of the Far North Freefall Club continued their jump as planned.
The incident occurred in September but was only revealed in a new report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
While swinging beneath the aircraft, the skydiver used a “hook knife” to cut the reserve lines and free himself, the bureau said. He then deployed his main chute and landed safely.
The skydiver had to cut himself free from the wing of the plane before landing safely - Australian Transport Safety Bureau/AFP
Angus Mitchell, the bureau’s chief commissioner, said: “Carrying a hook knife – although it is not a regulatory requirement – could be lifesaving in the event of a premature reserve parachute deployment.”
The aircraft’s tail was “substantially damaged”, limiting the pilot’s control. He issued a mayday call but landed safely.
Earlier this year, a court heard that critical safety checks were overlooked before a “catastrophic” 2021 jump in New South Wales in which two men – Stephen Hoare, 37, and Alex Welling, 32, a tandem passenger – became snagged on a plane, dangled mid-air and fell to their deaths.
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