Australian authorities on Thursday released dramatic footage of a September skydiving incident showing a jumper left dangling thousands of meters in the air after their reserve parachute became tangled with the aircraft’s tail
Australian authorities on Thursday released a dramatic footage from a September skydiving incident in which a jumper was left hanging thousands of meters above the ground after their reserve parachute became entangled with the aircraft’s tail.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released vision of a near midair disaster, involving skydivers in far north Queensland in September earlier this year. A light plane took off from Tully Airport, south of Cairns, on September 20 with 17 parachutists on board.
The group… pic.twitter.com/sCAluG5bJn
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According to 7NewsAustralia, the group had planned a 16-way formation jump from about 15,000 feet south of Cairns. But moments after the first skydiver moved toward the exit, the situation turned dangerous.
Video from the aircraft shows the jumper’s reserve chute deploying prematurely when its handle snagged on the plane’s wing flap. The sudden jolt yanked the skydiver backward, slamming their legs against the aircraft before the orange reserve canopy wrapped around the tail, leaving them suspended in open air.
The force of the mishap also sent the waiting camera operator tumbling into an unplanned freefall.
For several seconds, the trapped skydiver appears stunned, gripping their helmet as they assess the emergency.
Then, using a hook knife they had on them, they sliced through the tangled reserve lines and broke free. After releasing themselves, they deployed their main parachute and landed safely.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the incident underscores the value of carrying a hook knife during jumps.
“Carrying a hook knife, although it is not a regulatory requirement, could be lifesaving in the event of a premature reserve parachute deployment,” AFP quoted Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell as saying.
The aircraft’s tail sustained significant damage from the impact. The pilot briefly lost full control and issued a mayday call, but was still able to land the plane safely without further incident.
With inputs from agencies
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