What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 11, 2024, at approximately 1454 EST, near Cedartown Georgia, a parachutist exited an aircraft at 14,000 ft above ground level and landed on the ground without his parachute deployed, fatally killing him. The parachutist is an employee of the skydiving school. According to witness statements and interviews, the parachutist complained of not feeling well and pointing to his chest and saying he had chest pain earlier in the day. The parachutist decided not to perform any tandem jumps (working duties) that day due to not feeling well. The parachutist decided to perform a solo fun jump, high-altitude pull (exit the aircraft and immediately pull the chute), which put him as the last jumper to exit the aircraft. The pilot stated the parachutist exited the aircraft and had observed him for a couple seconds descend normally. According to a some of the parachutist statements who exited the aircraft prior to the deceased on the same load saw him below 2000FT freefalling and limp with his back facing down. One of the parachutists saw the deceased hit the ground without his parachute deployed. Examination of the parachute system showed the main deployment handle was correctly stowed in the bottom of the container (boc) pouch, the reserve deployment handle was in its correct position on the main lift web (mlw) and no automatic activation device (aad) was installed in the parachute system. Further examination/breakdown of the parachute, performed by a certificated rigger and witnessed by the iic, showed no discrepancies with the parachute.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 11, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1454 EST, NEAR CEDARTOWN GEORGIA, A PARACHUTIST EXITED AN AIRCRAFT AT 14,000 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AND LANDED ON THE GROUND WITHOUT HIS PARACHUTE DEPLOYED, FATALLY KILLING HIM. THE PARACHUTIST IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE SKYDIVING SCHOOL. ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS AND INTERVIEWS, THE PARACHUTIST COMPLAINED OF NOT FEELING WELL AND POINTING TO HIS CHEST AND SAYING HE HAD CHEST PAIN EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE PARACHUTIST DECIDED NOT TO PERFORM ANY TANDEM JUMPS (WORKING DUTIES) THAT DAY DUE TO NOT FEELING WELL. THE PARACHUTIST DECIDED TO PERFORM A SOLO FUN JUMP, HIGH-ALTITUDE PULL (EXIT THE AIRCRAFT AND IMMEDIATELY PULL THE CHUTE), WHICH PUT HIM AS THE LAST JUMPER TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THE PARACHUTIST EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND HAD OBSERVED HIM FOR A COUPLE SECONDS DESCEND NORMALLY. ACCORDING TO A SOME OF THE PARACHUTIST STATEMENTS WHO EXITED THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE DECEASED ON THE SAME LOAD SAW HIM BELOW 2000FT FREEFALLING AND LIMP WITH HIS BACK FACING DOWN. ONE OF THE PARACHUTISTS SAW THE DECEASED HIT THE GROUND WITHOUT HIS PARACHUTE DEPLOYED. EXAMINATION OF THE PARACHUTE SYSTEM SHOWED THE MAIN DEPLOYMENT HANDLE WAS CORRECTLY STOWED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER (BOC) POUCH, THE RESERVE DEPLOYMENT HANDLE WAS IN ITS CORRECT POSITION ON THE MAIN LIFT WEB (MLW) AND NO AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE (AAD) WAS INSTALLED IN THE PARACHUTE SYSTEM. FURTHER EXAMINATION/BREAKDOWN OF THE PARACHUTE, PERFORMED BY A CERTIFICATED RIGGER AND WITNESSED BY THE IIC, SHOWED NO DISCREPANCIES WITH THE PARACHUTE.