Investigations revealed that the parachute had become entangled with the wing flap of the aircraft.

The incident caused damage to the plane’s tail and left the skydiver dangling precariously beneath the aircraft.

This unfortunate snag led to a tear in the remaining parachute, ultimately freeing the skydiver and enabling the main parachute to deploy.

Remarkably, the skydiver made a safe landing, sustaining only minor injuries in the process.

Unaware of the skydiver’s predicament, the pilot initially mistook the situation for a stall and responded by increasing the plane’s power.

However, he had to act quickly when they realised the gravity of the situation.

“Upon being told there was a skydiver hung up on the tailplane, they reduced power again,” ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said.

Once the skydiver was freed from the aircraft, the pilot was able to gradually and safely descend.

The pilot was wearing an emergency parachute, and was prepared to bail out should the situation have required it.

Mitchell said the incident was a reminder of skydivers to be aware of their surroundings.

The final report also found the aircraft was not loaded properly, though it clarified that was not a cause of the accident.

Mitchell said this finding should not be ignored, due to previous serious accidents from such an oversight.

“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,” he said.