A skydiver has died at an airport in central Florida that has seen a similar incident before, marking another fatality at the airfield in less than two years.
The skydiver’s parachute malfunctioned on Monday afternoon during a flight at the recreational DeLand Municipal Airport. He was pronounced dead as officers responded to the scene at around 2:30 p.m.
Reportedly, the man “suffered a hard landing”, according to a statement from the DeLand Police Department. Authorities are now conducting an investigation into what exactly caused the tragic accident.
Police also said they will not identify the skydiver until his next of kin is notified of what happened.
This type of accident is not the first to occur at DeLand Municipal Airport, which is owned by the city and is available for public use.
Another skydiver was killed during a flawed landing at the airfield in October of 2022, which was also the result of a malfunctioning parachute, as stated by the DeLand police.
Reportedly, there were 10 deadly skydiving accidents in 2023, among more than 3.6 million jumps worldwide, according to the USPA (United States Parachute Association). The association clarified that this was a record low.
On this recurring issue, skydiving experts acknowledge that the sport carries its own level of risk, but they also say that most accidents in the practice are a result of human error, rather than equipment failure.
“Many of the accidents occur because the jumper- oftentimes an experienced skydiver who is pushing the limits- makes an error in judgement while landing a perfectly functioning parachute,” the USPA wrote in a section of its website covering safety guidelines. “Automobile accidents are not usually the result of equipment failure, but rather operator mistakes,” the association said in an effort to contextualize the incidents.
