A scary exit for a paratrooper but safe in the end quite a good recovery system that must attach to the static line before they cut it freeing the jumper but a bit of an uncontrolled landing for him better that than no chute.
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Well, having been a skydiver (civilian, not military, although I graduated with the military system), I must say that such things are really scary to me.
I'm glad that it never happened to me.
Once they connected the HUPRA (Hung Up Parachute Release Assembly) system he was off and running. Happens when people don't keep their s*** together as they exit the door, or when a chute doesn't have enough weight on the static line to pull it out of the back correctly.
Thats Life...............
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
A mate of mine was an Air Traffic Controller at Fort Benning Georgia in the 1970s. He told me they had a similar event when the Airborne School was running a jumpmasters' course jumping from a UH1 early one morning before the normal jump cycles started. The student went out to the end of the static line and no further. The student was knocked unconscious by all appearances. Landing with him there posed a risk as the parachute might have deployed and been sucked into the rotor if the bag opened when the tension on it was released. So, they circled, and circled and circled while they tried to find a solution. After half an hour of orbiting the drop zone, the helicopter crew chief tied static lines from the previous jumpers together, tied himself to the helicopter with the static lines, climbed out on the skid and physically hauled the student up, tied his rig, and tossed him in the aircraft. They then landed safely.
Apparently, all motivated not by courage, but by too much morning coffee and a full bladder.
PM
