A parachuter in Australia escaped death despite his reserve chute getting stuck on the tail of the plane out of which he was trying to jump.
Adrian Ferguson was trying a clean jump out of the plane, but he was dragged by his parachute while readying himself, according to a Dec. 11 report from Sky News.
He fell out of the plane, with his legs hitting the left horizontal stabilizer, severely damaging the part.
Then he found himself dangling below the plane, with his chute wrapped around the stabilizer.
Ferguson was able to get out his hook knife and cut 11 lines from the reserve parachute.
His parachute then tore, allowing him to get free of the precarious situation.
Ferguson managed to release the main parachute while in freefall, and he survived the whole ordeal with minor injuries.
The incident unfolded on Sept. 20 about 15,000 feet above Far North Queensland.
🇦🇺 SKYDIVER CHEATS DEATH IN MID-AIR PARACHUTE SNAG INCIDENT – SHOCKING ATSB REPORT🚨
A Queensland skydiver survived a terrifying accident when his parachute snagged on a Cessna Caravan’s tail at 15,000ft.
Dragged out of the plane and suspended below it, he cut reserve… pic.twitter.com/QkfKzfULIN
— Info Room (@InfoR00M) December 11, 2025
A group of parachuters had been attempting a 16-way formation skydive when Ferguson got caught.
Ferguson ultimately had to miss six weeks of work for medical leave, which included healing from stitches used to handle his injuries.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell provided a summary of the incident to Sky News from the vantage point of the cockpit.
“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. But upon being told there was a skydiver hung up on the tailplane, they reduced power again,” Mitchell said.
The damaged control surface presented some difficulties to the pilot.
“With all parachutists out of the aircraft, the pilot assessed they had limited pitch control, given the substantially damaged tailplane, which still had a portion of the reserve parachute wrapped around it,” he continued.
“With forward pressure they found they could achieve a gradual descent, and retracted the flap, which then allowed slightly more rudder, aileron and elevator control.”
Mitchell reminded parachuting enthusiasts to be careful when exiting aircraft, and he strongly recommended keeping a hook knife on their person.
“Carrying a hook knife — although it is not a regulatory requirement — could be lifesaving in the event of a premature reserve parachute deployment,” he said.
“Fatal parachuting accidents have occurred in the past due to aircraft being loaded outside centre of gravity limits, which highlights the importance of conducting aircraft weight and balance calculations prior to each load.”
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