Horror moment skydiver’s parachute gets CAUGHT on plane’s tail

THIS is the terrifying moment when a skydiver’s parachute gets caught on the tail of a plane high in the skies above Australia.

The dramatic footage shows the stricken individual wresting for his life after the Cessna Caravan aircraft had already completed two successful trips that day.

The parachutist initially cautiously creeping out the door of the plane, preparing himself to jump.

The handle for their reserve parachute suddenly snags on the wing flap, accidentally deploying the contraption in the process.

The thrill-seeker is then violently yanked backwards.

He collides with the plane’s left horizontal stabiliser, and is left dangling at 15,000 feet as the plane speeds along at 100mph.

Thirteen other parachutists then jump out and past their stricken colleague, while two others stay and watch.

He then uses a hook knife to free himself – cutting all 11 lines of his reserve parachute.

The skydiver, who was an experienced jumper with more than 2000 dives to his game, was able to cut all the lines in less than a minute.

Thanks to this quick-thinking, the skydiver is then able to deploy his main parachute and eventually land in one piece.

He suffered only minor cuts and bruising to his lower legs.

Meanwhile, the pilot is completely unaware of what’s going on behind him.

As the diver’s feet struck the plane’s fuselage, it makes it harder for the pilot to control the aircraft.

“The pilot recalled feeling the aircraft suddenly pitch up, and observed the airspeed rapidly decreasing,” ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.

The pilot said he felt his controls vibrating and had to act quickly to maintain a straight and stable flight path.

“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.

Fearing for the worst, the pilot then issued a “mayday” signal to Brisbane Centre Air Traffic Control before landing.

The pilot, who was wearing an emergency parachute, was reportedly prepared to “bail out during the descent if them deemed they did not have sufficient control to land the aircraft”.

However, after descending about 2500 feet, he felt sufficiently confident in the plane’s ability to land.

Mitchell said that the incident should serve as a reminder to skydivers to always be careful of their parachute handles, especially when exiting 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,” he said.

This is the latest in a long line of terrifying aviation accidents.

In October, an experienced skydiver died after being fatally injured in a horrible mid-air collision in Massachusetts.

Robert Szabo, 62, died three days after crashing into another skydiver while gliding down on Saturday afternoon.

Back in April, a woman died in after an accident at a UK farm.

Emergency services were called to Wreford’s Farm, in County Durhamon Sunday, April 27, at just before 10.30am.

Paramedics sadly pronounced a woman, aged in her 30s, dead at the scene.