Cessna 172G, VH-PLX, Dajarra, Qld, 28 May 1972

At approximately 1445 hours EST on 28 May, 1972, a parachutist was fatally injured by impact with the ground following a free-fall descent at Dajarra Aerodrome, Queensland.

The main parachute pack burst open on impact and the canopy was found still encased in its sleeve. The main parachute ripcord handle was clear of the retaining pocket and the ripcord cable was extracted from its housing to the "pulled" position. A sharp bend in the ripcord cable suggested that prior to impact the cable may have been partially extracted from the housing but to an extent which would have been insufficient for the release pins to have cleared the retaining cones on the parachute pack. The reserve parachute operated normally but the time available for its deployment after actuation of the ripcord was such that the shroud lines had not been fully extracted from the retaining bands in the parachute pack.