Skydiving Instructor Killed After Plummeting Lacking Parachute in Nashville
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the death of a skydiving instructor after he became separated from his client during a jump in Music City, TN.
Police report instructor Justin Fuller "appears to have dropped from the air without a safety chute" during the dive on Saturday.
The instructor, 35 years old, appeared to have separated from his student and a tandem rig, which links the two during a dive and includes the parachute.
A police helicopter located Fuller's body in a forested zone some time after. Local emergency crews used several ladders to access the middle-aged student who survived the descent after being stuck on a tree for some time with the emergency parachute.
Officials said three other dives, which took place near a local airport, were carried out without incident prior to the deadly incident. Aircraft from which they leaped also landed safely.
The cause remains unknown how the instructor, an seasoned parachutist, became separated from the protective gear.
A individual who helped rescue teams in the rescue informed a media outlet the student who officials rescued mentioned "it was his first jump, and it was going to be his final one".
The instructor had recently written about his enthusiasm for instructing people how to parachute.
"Teaching people to skydive has always been in my view the most satisfying role at the drop zone," Mr Fuller wrote in an Instagram post in June.
"Watching them learn the skills and start flying their bodies is always a heartwarming experience. Occasionally though, it can get a little hectic up there when you release a student for their initial attempt."
That same month he shared photos of the damage a skydiving plane he was on noting the aircraft's motor had failed after take off. Every individual onboard lived through the incident.
