Video Shows Parachute Tangle, Everyone Safe

Australia’s Transport Safety Bureau is urging skydivers to carry a “hook knife” after a suitably equipped jumper was able to cut himself free when his reserve chute tangled in the tail of a Cessna Caravan jump plane. The ATSB released a video of the tense event that ended with some minor injuries to two of 17 skydivers on the aircraft. “Carrying a hook knife—although it is not a regulatory requirement—could be lifesaving in the event of a premature reserve parachute deployment,” said ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell. Hook knives, which are similar to emergency seatbelt cutters sold for automotive use, are designed to grab and quickly slice parachute lines if they foul or there is some kind of mishap in the air. As with Australia they are not required in the U.S. but they are mandatory in the U.K. The incident occurred Sept. 20, 15,000 feet above Mission Beach in northwestern Queensland. Our colleague and highly experienced skydiver Paul Bertorelli enhanced the widely circulated video below and wrote the following analysis for his Facebook followers.

“As Paul Harvey used to say, here’s the rest of the story. The web eventually disgorged the full video of the Caravan reserve entanglement incident in Australia. I slowed it down and tried to enhance the exposure so you can see the reserve handle.

Still can’t see it clearly, but it obviously caught on the lower edge of the flap as the front floater climbed out. The freebag appears a few frames later. I’ve done that Caravan front float, but I must have been aware of the flap interference because I don’t remember thinking about it.   

Lot of discussion at the drop zone yesterday about carrying hook knives. Some people don’t carry them, but most do. I have one on my rig down on the leg strap. I can’t see it and it’s hard to get to. I have another hook knife in my gear bag and since it does no good there, I might as well add it somewhere.

Rigger tried to talk me out of it. He argues that it adds risk, which is true. Some years ago at Z-hills, a skydiver had his hook knife come out of its pocket during opening, float up and cleanly slice a control line. He got it all on video. I don’t remember if he cut away, but I seem to recall he didn’t. 

The probability of needing a hook knife is near zero, but not zero. But if you need it, as this guy did, you need is badly and it may be your only salvation. But is the downside risk of carrying one that then causes damage higher? No one can say. So I’m still gonna mount it where I can see it.“

The skydivers were taking part in a formation event that involved 16 participants and one camera operator. The first skydiver out, in the foreground, caught the release mechanism of his reserve chute on the flap of the Caravan and it deployed, pulling him from the aircraft before wrapping around horizontal stabilizer. On the way out he knocked the camera guy off the doorframe and he was slightly hurt but landed safely. Meanwhile the dangling diver pulled the knife from a pocket and began cutting risers until he also fell free. But his main chute was fouled in the remnants of the reserve and he had to untangle it in the air so it could deploy properly. He had significant injuries to his legs after he hit the tail in the initial entanglement.

Most of the other skydivers left the aircraft (the report says 13 others jumped) but the pilot had his hands full. “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. “But upon being told there was a skydiver hung up on the tailplane, they reduced power again.” Some of the reserve parachute remained wrapped around the horizontal stabilizer, making the approach and landing interesting. “The pilot managed to control the aircraft and land safely at Tully,” Mitchell said.