11.12.2025 21:50
An incident that occurred during a parachute jump in the Queensland region of northeastern Australia shocked onlookers. A parachutist became entangled with the backup parachute at the moment of the jump, leaving them hanging thousands of meters in the air. Maintaining their composure, the parachutist managed to cut the cords with a personal knife and successfully freed themselves, landing with minor injuries.
A parachutist who came face to face with death in the skies over Australia miraculously escaped a disaster that could have turned fatal in seconds. During the jump, the parachutist's reserve parachute got caught on the tail of the plane, leaving them suspended thousands of meters in the air, and they saved their life by cutting the lines with a knife they carried.
SUSPENDED IN THE AIR FOR MINUTES
The incident occurred near Sub-Tropical Tully Airport. During a 16-person formation parachute jump organized by the Far North Freefall Club based in Queensland, the reserve parachute of the first parachutist to jump got caught on the plane's wing and tail stabilizer. The opening of the parachute pulled the jumper towards the back of the plane, causing them to be suspended in the air thousands of meters high.
USED A HOOK KNIFE
The parachutist used a "hook knife" they personally carried to cut the lines of the reserve parachute at thousands of meters high. After managing to cut some of the lines with the hook knife, the parachutist then deployed their main parachute and landed safely. Medical teams reported that the parachutist only sustained minor cuts and bruises from the incident.
PLANE DAMAGED, PILOT MADE MAYDAY CALL
Significant damage occurred to the left horizontal stabilizer due to the parachutist's reserve parachute getting caught on the plane's stabilizer. Initially, the pilot thought the plane had experienced a malfunction and adjusted the power settings. After learning the situation, the plane made a "mayday" emergency call via radio, but it was later landed safely at Tully Airport.
EXPERTS WARN
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) stated in its report regarding the incident that improper calculations of the aircraft's load and balance could also pose risks, but emphasized that this was not the primary cause of the incident. Safety experts announced that following the incident, the organization mandated all parachutists to carry additional line-cutting equipment (hook knife).
ATSB officials and representatives from the parachute federation highlighted the critical importance for parachutists to pay attention to equipment cords when exiting the aircraft and to carry personal cutting tools. Experts noted that such incidents are very rare but can pose serious dangers if one is caught unprepared.