Skydive Jersey chief instructor Mal Richardson said the jumper ditched the parachute and used the secondary one, as is routine in such circumstances.
He said such malfunctions were rare but the incident showed that safety procedures worked effectively.
Dozens of people watched on as the parachute tumbled to the ground.
Mr Richardson thanked those who expressed concern after seeing the parachute spiralling through the air or watched videos of it on social media.
