Overview
- Investigators confirmed a skydiver’s reserve handle snagged a Cessna Caravan’s wing flap on exit, deploying the reserve and leaving the jumper hanging from the tail at about 15,000 feet.
- Dangling beneath the aircraft, the experienced jumper used a hook knife to cut 11 reserve lines, freed himself, deployed his main canopy and landed with minor leg injuries.
- The pilot declared a mayday, reported limited pitch control due to substantial tail damage and landed safely at Tully after preparing to bail out if control was lost; a camera operator was dislodged into freefall and sustained a minor injury.
- The ATSB found the aircraft departed outside weight-and-balance limits and noted the pilot did not use required supplemental oxygen at the flight level, identifying both as safety risks unrelated to the snag.
- Far North Freefall Club mandated hook knives, revised loadmaster checklists and procedures and issued oxygen reminders, while the APF develops national loadmaster guidance; the operator is engaging its manifest software provider to add balance calculations, with ATSB video to be used in training.