QUEENSLAND, Australia — Dramatic video from Australia shows a skydiver’s reserve parachute becoming snagged on a plane wing mid-air over Queensland.
The video was released on Thursday, December 11 as part of the findings of an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation into a skydiving incident over Tully Airport on September 20.
The parachute jump was part of the ‘Big Ways at the Beach’ event where experienced parachutists completed large group formations.
The ATSB said 17 parachutists were on board, ready for a “16-way formation jump” from 15,000 feet.
As the first parachutist climbed out of the aircraft to jump, the handle of his reserve parachute snagged on a wing flap, damaging the plane’s “horizontal stabilizer.”
The footage shows multiple angles of the parachute being deployed and the man being flung from the aircraft, with the parachute then wrapping around the tailplane. Another parachutist fell from the plane in the process.
While hanging from the plane, the man was able to cut himself free with a knife, sending himself into freefall. He released his main parachute and landed safely, sustaining only minor injuries from the incident.
The final report found the aircraft was not loaded properly, though it clarified that was not a cause of the accident.
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