ATSB Releases Video, Report on Skydiver Snag That Forced Emergency Landing in Queensland

Overview

• Released imagery shows a reserve-parachute handle caught on a wing flap, the reserve opened, and the skydiver was pulled outside the aircraft.
• The incident occurred on September 20 during the Big Ways at the Beach event, with 17 experienced jumpers departing Tully in a Cessna Caravan for a planned 16‑way formation.
• The skydiver cut free using a hook knife, entered freefall, deployed the main parachute, and landed with minor injuries as another jumper fell from the doorway during the struggle.
• According to ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell, the added external weight changed the aircraft’s attitude and speed; the horizontal stabilizer was damaged, a MAYDAY was declared, and the pilot landed safely in Tully.
• The ATSB found the aircraft was outside weight-and-balance limits and the pilot did not use oxygen at 4,572 meters, while the Australian Parachute Federation is developing a loadmaster guide and urging better protection for bulky reserve handles to reduce snag risks.