Incident Overview
A parachutist was injured after his reserve parachute deployed prematurely while aboard a helicopter, resulting in him being pulled from the aircraft. The incident occurred when the helicopter descended through approximately 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL).
Sequence of Events
The parachutist was part of a group of five individuals preparing to jump from the helicopter. After one member of the group decided not to jump, he failed to deactivate a safety device designed to automatically open the reserve parachute at a preset altitude. As the helicopter descended through about 1,000 feet AGL, the reserve parachute deployed inside the aircraft. The parachutist was pulled from the helicopter by the deploying parachute. The parachute then became snagged on the helicopter's skids and did not inflate fully.
Injuries
The parachutist sustained injuries during the subsequent hard landing. The source does not specify the nature or severity of the injuries.
Aftermath
The incident highlights the importance of proper deactivation of automatic activation devices when a parachutist decides not to exit an aircraft. No further details regarding the helicopter or operator were provided in the source.