A skydive over Far North Queensland nearly ended in disaster when a skydiver’s reserve parachute snagged on the tail of a Cessna Caravan, sending him hanging thousands of feet in the air and forcing the pilot to fight for control, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). ATSB video shows the parachutist spinning helplessly as the reserve parachute wraps around the plane’s tail. The incident occurred on September 20, 2025, during a planned 16-way formation jump over Tully Airport. Fellow skydivers bail out. Thirteen of the other parachutists on board immediately jumped from the plane, while two remained in the door to help. The trapped parachutist hung under the tail and managed to pull out a hook knife and cut 11 lines from his reserve chute, tearing the canopy enough to break free. Safe Landing After being freed, he deployed his main parachute and descended safely alongside the others. According to the ATSB, he suffered only minor injuries. A camera operator who remained on board captured the entire ordeal and provided investigators with critical footage. How the incident unfolded The ATSB said the Cessna took off with 17 parachutists and a pilot who slowed the aircraft to 85 knots and extended 10° of flap before signaling the jump run. As the first parachutist got out, his reserve handle caught, causing the chute to come loose and violently drag him backwards. His legs struck the aircraft’s left horizontal stabilizer and severely damaged it before the parachute wrapped around the tailplane. Here’s that terrifying video of skydiver entangled on plane tail: “The plane suddenly pitched up” ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the unexpected drag caused a sudden loss of control. “The pilot remembers the plane suddenly pitching up and the airspeed rapidly decreasing,” Mitchell said. “Initially unaware of what had happened, the pilot believed the aircraft had stalled… But when they were told there was a parachutist attached to the tailplane, they reduced power again.”