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There are plenty of things that can go wrong when you make the decision to climb aboard an airplane with the intention of leaping out of it with a parachute strapped to your back. One daredevil in Australia learned that the hard way, as they were lucky to escape with minor injuries after they ended up dangling from the tail of an aircraft after their parachute got stuck.
The act of skydiving predates the invention of the airplane by more than a century, as a Frenchman named André-Jacques Garnerin became the first person to use a parachute to safely fall back to Earth after leaping from a hot air balloon 3,000 feet above Paris in 1797.
Each year, millions of people make the conscious decision to leap out of a perfectly good airplane, and while the majority of those jumps go off without a hitch, there’s only so much you can do to prevent things from taking a turn for the worse.
Nine people died while skydiving in the United States in 2024 (which marked a record low), and thousands of others receive treatment for various injuries during a typical year (although it’s worth noting that only around 0.045% of attempts result in people seeking medical attention).
One man who was taking part in an aerial showcase in Australia earlier this year ended up in that second category, although he was lucky to avoid landing in the first based on the video of the scary incident he was involved in.
An Australian skydiver ended up stuck on the tail of a plane after his parachute prematurely deployed
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 17 skydivers affiliated with the Far North Freefall club climbed aboard a Cessna Caravan to take part in a formation exercise over Mission Beach in Queensland on September 20th.
The parachutists were planning to orchestrate a “16-way formation jump” after falling from the plane at 15,000 feet above the ground. However, that plan hit a hitch when one member’s reserve parachute prematurely deployed after their cord got snagged when they stepped up to the door, which led to them dangling from the tail.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recently released footage of what transpired after conducting an investigation into the incident, as video captured the moment the skydiver was sucked back onto the tail before they used a knife to cut themselves free prior to landing after deploying their primary parachute.
Two of his fellow daredevils stayed on the plane along with the pilot who had to deal with the damage the tail suffered when the parachute was caught on it. They declared a mayday and were prepared to use an emergency parachute to ditch the plane but were ultimately able to successfully land at Tully Airport.
The skydiver who was stuck was treated for minor injuries, and while the pilot was cited for failing to properly balance weight on the plane prior to takeoff and not using oxygen at jump altitude, investigators still commended them for managing to touch down safely.