A flight almost ended in tragedy in September when a skydiver’s parachute got caught on the tail of a plane over Far North Queensland.
The parachutist was climbing out of the Cessna Caravan plane’s side door, when the handle for their reserve parachute snagged on the wing flap, accidentally deploying the parachute in the process, according to a report released on Thursday by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
Once caught, the parachutist was left dangling from the plane’s tail, leaving his legs flapping in the winds at 15,000 feet.
The skydiver’s feet then struck the plane’s left horizontal stabiliser, which jolted the plane, making it hard for the pilot, unaware of the incident unfolding, to control.
“The pilot recalled feeling the aircraft suddenly pitch up, and observed the airspeed rapidly decreasing,” ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
The parachutist was climbing out of the plane’s side door when the handle for their reserve parachute snagged on the wing flap.Credit: Jarrad Nolan/ATSB
The pilot felt the controls vibrating, and had to compensate on the controls to maintain a straight and level flight, the ATSB said.
“Initially unaware of what had occurred, the pilot believed the aircraft had stalled, and pushed forward on the control column and applied some power in response,” Mitchell said.
The incident, which occurred over Tully Airport on September 20, prompted the pilot to declare a “mayday” to Brisbane Centre Air Traffic Control before landing.
