In a dramatic incident, an Australian skydiver narrowly escaped death when his reserve parachute caught on the tail of an aircraft, leaving him hanging mid-air at an altitude of 4,500 meters.
On 12 Dec 2025 GMT+7, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau released footage of the harrowing moment when Adrian Ferguson, a male skydiver, was yanked from the plane door and his reserve parachute became entangled on the rear wing of a Cessna Caravan, causing him to hang suspended at over 15,000 feet, approximately 4,500 meters.
This occurred at Tully Airport in Queensland while a group of 17 skydivers prepared for a 16-way formation jump, with one person filming. As Ferguson stepped out of the aircraft, the reserve parachute’s pull cord snagged on the airplane's tail, leaving him hanging behind the plane.
He then decided to use a special knife, commonly carried by skydivers, to cut 11 parachute lines to free himself from the aircraft. Falling with the torn parachute debris, he deployed his main parachute, which was partially tangled but still functional, allowing him to land safely.
Source: AP