Lands Safely After Popping Reserve 'Chute

A jumper with the Canadian Forces "Skyhawks" Parachute Team was injured shortly after he leapt from the jump plane Sunday, during a performance at the Salute to Veterans Airshow in Columbia, MO.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the man, who asked not to be identified, broke his right arm after jumping from the team's CC-115 Buffalo aircraft.

"When they hit the wind, one of the people in the four-person base broke his arm," Team Captain Sean French said. "It's not something that happens very often. It's just the way the body and wind reacted."

Because the main 'chute deployed from his right side, the jumper used his reserve parachute -- accessible with his left arm -- to float to the ground. "There was no parachute malfunction," French said.

The other jumpers noticed the problem immediately, French added, and yielded to the member using a reserve parachute.

The Skyhawks were established in 1971, and to date have performed approximately 3,100 shows around the world. The team performed three jumps during the Salute to Veterans show.

FMI: www.army.forces.gc.ca/lf/English/3_3_1.asp