What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 9, 2025, departing from Rochelle municipal airport/ Koritz field (krpj) a group of 18 skydivers, including two videographers, departed from the chicagoland skydiving center. Departure time listed for the group was 18:24 CDT. The aircraft used was a Cessna caravan 208B. Weather conditions were reported favorable, with surface winds from the west-northwest at 5 to 8 knots and clear visibility.
According to the on-site uspa-designated safety and training advisor (s&ta), all participants were highly experienced parachutists, including long-term instructors and who regularly engaged in this type of advanced skydiving. The s&ta noted that these jumps were intended as an "idea lab" for testing new concepts and methods executed as a “flocking group”. The incident occurred during the fifth jump of the day in a planned series of ten.
Video footage recorded by the team videographers and helmet gopro showed parachutist one (the decedent) and parachutist two (the surviving participant) collided during a barrel roll maneuver. Parachutist one initiated the maneuver with the intention of rolling over parachutist two, who was under main canopy in a stationary condition in-line with other jumpers. The collision damaged the attachment point at parachutist two’s risers, resulting in loss of the canopy. Parachutist two then performed an emergency cutaway and immediately deployed their reserve parachute. The reserve deployed properly and allowed for a controlled landing.
Parachutist one became entangled beneath the main canopy and entered an uncontrolled spiral descent, reportedly losing approximately 4000 feet of altitude. The event leader, and another member of the jump group, altered their flight path to follow parachutist one during the descent. It was reported that parachutist one performed a manual cutaway at approximately 2000–3000 feet. These individuals continued to track parachutist one until they had to maneuver for their own landings. Parachutist one continued on the deployed reserve uncontrolled ultimately impacted the ground an estimated 1866 feet east/southeast of the designated drop zone center.
Parachutists one and two were transported via ambulance to the local hospital. Parachutist two had severe injury and parachutist one was pronounced deceased.
The next day the equipment worn by parachutist one was inspected with the designated parachute rigger examiner, (dpre). Findings indicated that regarding the reserve release: the reserve static line was disabled, the aad had not been actuated, and the manual release was pulled, yet the steering controls remained stowed in the risers. The equipment was found maintained per FAA regulations and the related parachutist gear was in good condition.
Parachutist’s one and two’s main canopies have not been located for further inspection.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 9, 2025, DEPARTING FROM ROCHELLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT/ KORITZ FIELD (KRPJ) A GROUP OF 18 SKYDIVERS, INCLUDING TWO VIDEOGRAPHERS, DEPARTED FROM THE CHICAGOLAND SKYDIVING CENTER. DEPARTURE TIME LISTED FOR THE GROUP WAS 18:24 CDT. THE AIRCRAFT USED WAS A CESSNA CARAVAN 208B. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED FAVORABLE, WITH SURFACE WINDS FROM THE WEST-NORTHWEST AT 5 TO 8 KNOTS AND CLEAR VISIBILITY.
ACCORDING TO THE ON-SITE USPA-DESIGNATED SAFETY AND TRAINING ADVISOR (S&TA), ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PARACHUTISTS, INCLUDING LONG-TERM INSTRUCTORS AND WHO REGULARLY ENGAGED IN THIS TYPE OF ADVANCED SKYDIVING. THE S&TA NOTED THAT THESE JUMPS WERE INTENDED AS AN "IDEA LAB" FOR TESTING NEW CONCEPTS AND METHODS EXECUTED AS A “FLOCKING GROUP”. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE FIFTH JUMP OF THE DAY IN A PLANNED SERIES OF TEN.
VIDEO FOOTAGE RECORDED BY THE TEAM VIDEOGRAPHERS AND HELMET GOPRO SHOWED PARACHUTIST ONE (THE DECEDENT) AND PARACHUTIST TWO (THE SURVIVING PARTICIPANT) COLLIDED DURING A BARREL ROLL MANEUVER. PARACHUTIST ONE INITIATED THE MANEUVER WITH THE INTENTION OF ROLLING OVER PARACHUTIST TWO, WHO WAS UNDER MAIN CANOPY IN A STATIONARY CONDITION IN-LINE WITH OTHER JUMPERS. THE COLLISION DAMAGED THE ATTACHMENT POINT AT PARACHUTIST TWO’S RISERS, RESULTING IN LOSS OF THE CANOPY. PARACHUTIST TWO THEN PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY CUTAWAY AND IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED THEIR RESERVE PARACHUTE. THE RESERVE DEPLOYED PROPERLY AND ALLOWED FOR A CONTROLLED LANDING.
PARACHUTIST ONE BECAME ENTANGLED BENEATH THE MAIN CANOPY AND ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED SPIRAL DESCENT, REPORTEDLY LOSING APPROXIMATELY 4000 FEET OF ALTITUDE. THE EVENT LEADER, AND ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE JUMP GROUP, ALTERED THEIR FLIGHT PATH TO FOLLOW PARACHUTIST ONE DURING THE DESCENT. IT WAS REPORTED THAT PARACHUTIST ONE PERFORMED A MANUAL CUTAWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 2000–3000 FEET. THESE INDIVIDUALS CONTINUED TO TRACK PARACHUTIST ONE UNTIL THEY HAD TO MANEUVER FOR THEIR OWN LANDINGS. PARACHUTIST ONE CONTINUED ON THE DEPLOYED RESERVE UNCONTROLLED ULTIMATELY IMPACTED THE GROUND AN ESTIMATED 1866 FEET EAST/SOUTHEAST OF THE DESIGNATED DROP ZONE CENTER.
PARACHUTISTS ONE AND TWO WERE TRANSPORTED VIA AMBULANCE TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. PARACHUTIST TWO HAD SEVERE INJURY AND PARACHUTIST ONE WAS PRONOUNCED DECEASED.
THE NEXT DAY THE EQUIPMENT WORN BY PARACHUTIST ONE WAS INSPECTED WITH THE DESIGNATED PARACHUTE RIGGER EXAMINER, (DPRE). FINDINGS INDICATED THAT REGARDING THE RESERVE RELEASE: THE RESERVE STATIC LINE WAS DISABLED, THE AAD HAD NOT BEEN ACTUATED, AND THE MANUAL RELEASE WAS PULLED, YET THE STEERING CONTROLS REMAINED STOWED IN THE RISERS. THE EQUIPMENT WAS FOUND MAINTAINED PER FAA REGULATIONS AND THE RELATED PARACHUTIST GEAR WAS IN GOOD CONDITION.
PARACHUTIST’S ONE AND TWO’S MAIN CANOPIES HAVE NOT BEEN LOCATED FOR FURTHER INSPECTION.