MELBOURNE, Australia, Dramatic images released by Australian accident investigators show a skydiver’s parachute becoming entangled on an airplane’s tail, leaving him dangling at 4,500 meters (15,000 feet).
The skydiver, Adrian Ferguson, used a hook knife to cut himself free and sustained minor leg injuries during the incident on September 20 at Tully Airport in Queensland. The pilot and 16 other parachutists on board the Cessna Caravan were unharmed.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released the video along with its report on the investigation. The plane had reached the desired altitude for a 16-way formation jump, with a 17th parachutist at an open door ready to film the jump.
Ferguson’s reserve chute ripcord snagged on a wing flap as he exited the plane. The chute deployed and jerked Ferguson backward, knocking the camera operator from the plane and into free fall. Ferguson’s legs struck the tail’s horizontal stabilizer, leaving him suspended as the chute became tangled.
Using a knife, Ferguson cut 11 lines to free himself and fall from the plane with part of the torn chute. He then deployed his main parachute, which fully inflated despite being partially entangled, and landed safely.
Most of the other skydivers had already jumped. The pilot was left with two skydivers aboard while controlling the plane with part of the chute still caught on the tail. The pilot made a mayday call and prepared to bail out using an emergency chute, but Brisbane air traffic authorities determined the plane could be safely landed at Tully, which it did without incident.
“Carrying a hook knife, although not a regulatory requirement, could be lifesaving in the event of a premature reserve parachute deployment,” said bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
