Skydiver dangles from plane tail over Far North Queensland in freak accident after chute snags
A flight nearly ended in tragedy in September when a parachutist’s parachute got stuck in the tail of a plane over Far North Queensland.
According to a report published by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau on Thursday, as the parachutist was climbing out of the side door of the Cessna Caravan plane, the arm of his reserve parachute got caught in the wing flap and the parachute accidentally opened in the process.
After being captured, the parachutist was left hanging from the tail of the plane, his legs blowing in the wind at 15,000 feet.
The parachutist’s feet then struck the aircraft’s left horizontal stabilizer, shaking the aircraft and making control difficult for the pilot, who was unaware of the incident.
“The pilot recalled feeling the aircraft rise suddenly and observing the airspeed decrease rapidly,” said ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell.
As the parachutist climbed out of the plane’s side door, the handle of their reserve parachute got caught in the wing flap.Credit: Jarrad Nolan/ATSB
The ATSB said the pilot felt the controls vibrating and had to stabilize them to maintain a straight, level flight.
“The pilot, who was initially unaware of what was happening, thought the airplane had stopped and applied some force in response by pushing the control column forward,” Mitchell said.
The incident, which occurred at Tully Airport on September 20, caused the pilot to declare a “mayday” to Brisbane Central Air Traffic Control before landing.
