What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 2, 2025, at approximately 11:00 am MST, a parachute jumper at Eloy airport (E60) in Eloy, Arizona, sustained fatal injuries after failing to deploy his parachute. The jumper, a 76-year-OLD male, had significant skydiving experience, including over 1,000 logged jumps.
Eloy police department personnel responded to the scene the same day to recover the body and gather evidence. The collected evidence included video footage showing the victim calmly exiting the aircraft, displaying no apparent abnormalities as seen from the view of the other jumpers. Photographic evidence indicated the parachutist impacted the ground at a high rate of descent and a shallow angle, causing the body to travel a short distance after initial impact.
Witness statements gathered by detectives indicate the parachutist maintained control of his body position throughout the descent, with arms and legs positioned normally. Witnesses noted that no attempt was made to deploy either the main or reserve parachutes during the entire duration of the jump.
A thorough inspection of the parachute system by a subject matter expert (designated parachute rigger examiner and master rigger) revealed no defects or malfunctions in either the main or reserve parachute or their release devices that would have prevented deployment.
The aircraft involved in the parachuting operation, a DHC-9 registered as privacy data omitted and its pilot were not the focus of this investigation, as they were determined to have played no contributing role in the incident.
Pinal county forensic examination report case #2025003682 results, cause of death multiple blunt force trama, multi-drug panel negative.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 2, 2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 AM MST, A PARACHUTE JUMPER AT ELOY AIRPORT (E60) IN ELOY, ARIZONA, SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AFTER FAILING TO DEPLOY HIS PARACHUTE. THE JUMPER, A 76-YEAR-OLD MALE, HAD SIGNIFICANT SKYDIVING EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING OVER 1,000 LOGGED JUMPS.
ELOY POLICE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL RESPONDED TO THE SCENE THE SAME DAY TO RECOVER THE BODY AND GATHER EVIDENCE. THE COLLECTED EVIDENCE INCLUDED VIDEO FOOTAGE SHOWING THE VICTIM CALMLY EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, DISPLAYING NO APPARENT ABNORMALITIES AS SEEN FROM THE VIEW OF THE OTHER JUMPERS. PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE INDICATED THE PARACHUTIST IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT AND A SHALLOW ANGLE, CAUSING THE BODY TO TRAVEL A SHORT DISTANCE AFTER INITIAL IMPACT.
WITNESS STATEMENTS GATHERED BY DETECTIVES INDICATE THE PARACHUTIST MAINTAINED CONTROL OF HIS BODY POSITION THROUGHOUT THE DESCENT, WITH ARMS AND LEGS POSITIONED NORMALLY. WITNESSES NOTED THAT NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DEPLOY EITHER THE MAIN OR RESERVE PARACHUTES DURING THE ENTIRE DURATION OF THE JUMP.
A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE PARACHUTE SYSTEM BY A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT (DESIGNATED PARACHUTE RIGGER EXAMINER AND MASTER RIGGER) REVEALED NO DEFECTS OR MALFUNCTIONS IN EITHER THE MAIN OR RESERVE PARACHUTE OR THEIR RELEASE DEVICES THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED DEPLOYMENT.
THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THE PARACHUTING OPERATION, A DHC-9 REGISTERED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ITS PILOT WERE NOT THE FOCUS OF THIS INVESTIGATION, AS THEY WERE DETERMINED TO HAVE PLAYED NO CONTRIBUTING ROLE IN THE INCIDENT.
PINAL COUNTY FORENSIC EXAMINATION REPORT CASE #2025003682 RESULTS, CAUSE OF DEATH MULTIPLE BLUNT FORCE TRAMA, MULTI-DRUG PANEL NEGATIVE.
Other reports on N204BD · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.