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Skydiver left dangling as parachute gets stuck 15,000 up feet in the air | Video
The plane took off with 17 parachutists aiming to film a 16-way formation jump but the reserve parachute of first skydiver got snagged on the plane's wing flap.
A skydiver was left to dangle in the skies for a while, shortly after the jump as his parachute got stuck at 15,000 feet high in the air. The shocking incident was caught on camera, and the clip showed the man struggling to free his parachute from the tail of the plane he had jumped of off.
The clip, released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, showed the skydiver's reserve parachute getting snagged on the wing of the plane, leaving him dangling 15,000 feet high in the air.
However, the man survived the incident by cutting the strings of the parachute and deploying the main parachute.
The incident took place in the south of Cairns in September, but came to light after investigations by the transport safety watchdog, a report by the bureau said. The skydiver had been performing a stunt.
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As per the transport authority, the plane took off on September 20 with a pilot and 17 parachutists aiming to film a 16-way formation jump. However, the moment turned into chaos as soon as the first participant jumped from the exit.
The handle of the reserve parachute of the first participant got snagged on the wing flap of the plane, deploying the parachute inadvertently.
The video shows the jumper being flung backwards as the orange parachute wrapped itself around the wing flap. The camera operator who was straddling the side of the exit also got knocked off. The jumper can be seen placing their hands on their helmet in shock.
As the video progresses, the parachuter manages to cut the strings of the chute with a hook knife and free themself. They then deploy the main parachute and land safely on the ground.
The bureau reported that the pilot was initially unaware of what had occurred and believed that the aircraft had stalled. But was informed later that a skydiver was hanging on the tail.
Chief commissioner of ATSB, Angus Mitchell, was quoted as saying that although carrying a hook knife is not a regulatory requirement, “it could be lifesaving in the event of a premature reserve parachute deployment.”
The aircraft's tail was “substantially damaged” after the incident, and the pilot had limited control of the plane. But they managed to land safely while issuing a mayday call.
