Australia
Wing and a Prayer
… Skydiver Dangles After Disastrous Jump!!!
Published
ATSB
Still hyping yourself up to go skydiving? This might just kill the vibe. A skydiver’s parachute got snagged on a plane’s tail at 15,000 feet … and the whole thing is a wild watch!
It happened in North Queensland, Australia … when the guy’s reserve-chute handle snagged on a partially extended wing flap as he jumped … and boom, it deployed mid-exit, leaving him flailing helplessly like a rag doll in a wind tunnel.
According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the guy damaged the plane’s left stabilizer … and the pilot, not knowing there was a whole human dangling off the tail, felt the aircraft suddenly pitch up. Thinking it had stalled, he shoved the controls forward and hit the gas to steady things.
Thirteen parachutists still onboard the September flight bailed ASAP … while two others stayed back as the dangling skydiver whipped out a knife and hacked himself free from the tangled reserve chute.
He finally popped his main chute and landed with the rest … walking away with just minor injuries.
Meanwhile, the pilot was moments away from jumping out of the plane himself after calling a mayday … but once the plane dropped 2,500 feet, he landed it like a champ. Talk about a rough day at the office!
