What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 9-17-2025 approximately 12:15 pm local time, a skydive instructor, employed byprivacy data omitted, and student as a tandem jump experience a dual malfunction of both the main and reserve parachute at the Jean, NV airport (OL7). Both the instructor and student survived the incident with severe injury. The aircraft was found to be undamaged.
According to ground personnel the wind was NE at 3-6 KTS. They witnessed the main parachute after the cut away falling separated from the jumpers. They witnessed the jumpers in a spin with the reserve deployed and partially inflated. The ground personnel radioed the base office of the cut away while the sky dive was in progress.
The pilot of privacy data omitted a CE206 aircraft stated that the jumpers’ exited at 11, 000 feet MSL and was normal with no anomalies. The pilot stated he was unaware of the incident at the time it was occurring.
The company owner stated that the company policy was to pull the main chute at 5000 feet allowing full deployment and inflation to occur by 4000 feet. The parachute was equipped with a cypres, automatic activation device, which is factory set to 2100 feet AGL. Examination of the parachute harness indicated that the cypres did not discharge.
Company personnel witnessed the jump instructor pack his own parachute. The log for the reserve parachute indicated it was re-packed within the 6 month required period. The instructor is experienced with approximately 8000 jumps and is a class d member of the uspa.
Examination the parachutes revealed that they were manufactured by privacy data omittedmodel tm and tr, with main chute weight limit of 525LBS and 500LBS for the reserve. The instructor and student combined weight was 386LBS well withing the weight limit of the parachutes.
The jump instructor was equipped with a gopro video camera mounted to his wrist. Review of the recording revealed that the main chute deployed and inflated. Line twist was observed from the harness up to the slider. The slider did not appear to descend to normal operating position, as such the parachute tips are observed to be low and deflated. The jumpers are observed to be spinning as the main chute is cut away with the reserve chute deploying. The reserve lines are observed to be bunched up near the slider. The slider is observed to be higher on one side than the other. The parachute is observed to be partially inflated with the tips of one side being deflated. The jumpers are observed in a spin prior to ground contact.
According to the owner of the company, the instructor and student were transported to a local hospital via helicopter. The instructor sustained broken ribs, fractured vertebrae, and concussion. The instructor remains unconscious in critical condition. The student sustained a broken hip and is conscious.
As the FAA filed it
ON 9-17-2025 APPROXIMATELY 12:15 PM LOCAL TIME, A SKYDIVE INSTRUCTOR, EMPLOYED BY^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND STUDENT AS A TANDEM JUMP EXPERIENCE A DUAL MALFUNCTION OF BOTH THE MAIN AND RESERVE PARACHUTE AT THE JEAN, NV AIRPORT (OL7). BOTH THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT SURVIVED THE INCIDENT WITH SEVERE INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND TO BE UNDAMAGED.
ACCORDING TO GROUND PERSONNEL THE WIND WAS NE AT 3-6 KTS. THEY WITNESSED THE MAIN PARACHUTE AFTER THE CUT AWAY FALLING SEPARATED FROM THE JUMPERS. THEY WITNESSED THE JUMPERS IN A SPIN WITH THE RESERVE DEPLOYED AND PARTIALLY INFLATED. THE GROUND PERSONNEL RADIOED THE BASE OFFICE OF THE CUT AWAY WHILE THE SKY DIVE WAS IN PROGRESS.
THE PILOT OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A CE206 AIRCRAFT STATED THAT THE JUMPERS’ EXITED AT 11, 000 FEET MSL AND WAS NORMAL WITH NO ANOMALIES. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE INCIDENT AT THE TIME IT WAS OCCURRING.
THE COMPANY OWNER STATED THAT THE COMPANY POLICY WAS TO PULL THE MAIN CHUTE AT 5000 FEET ALLOWING FULL DEPLOYMENT AND INFLATION TO OCCUR BY 4000 FEET. THE PARACHUTE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A CYPRES, AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE, WHICH IS FACTORY SET TO 2100 FEET AGL. EXAMINATION OF THE PARACHUTE HARNESS INDICATED THAT THE CYPRES DID NOT DISCHARGE.
COMPANY PERSONNEL WITNESSED THE JUMP INSTRUCTOR PACK HIS OWN PARACHUTE. THE LOG FOR THE RESERVE PARACHUTE INDICATED IT WAS RE-PACKED WITHIN THE 6 MONTH REQUIRED PERIOD. THE INSTRUCTOR IS EXPERIENCED WITH APPROXIMATELY 8000 JUMPS AND IS A CLASS D MEMBER OF THE USPA.
EXAMINATION THE PARACHUTES REVEALED THAT THEY WERE MANUFACTURED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^MODEL TM AND TR, WITH MAIN CHUTE WEIGHT LIMIT OF 525LBS AND 500LBS FOR THE RESERVE. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT COMBINED WEIGHT WAS 386LBS WELL WITHING THE WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE PARACHUTES.
THE JUMP INSTRUCTOR WAS EQUIPPED WITH A GOPRO VIDEO CAMERA MOUNTED TO HIS WRIST. REVIEW OF THE RECORDING REVEALED THAT THE MAIN CHUTE DEPLOYED AND INFLATED. LINE TWIST WAS OBSERVED FROM THE HARNESS UP TO THE SLIDER. THE SLIDER DID NOT APPEAR TO DESCEND TO NORMAL OPERATING POSITION, AS SUCH THE PARACHUTE TIPS ARE OBSERVED TO BE LOW AND DEFLATED. THE JUMPERS ARE OBSERVED TO BE SPINNING AS THE MAIN CHUTE IS CUT AWAY WITH THE RESERVE CHUTE DEPLOYING. THE RESERVE LINES ARE OBSERVED TO BE BUNCHED UP NEAR THE SLIDER. THE SLIDER IS OBSERVED TO BE HIGHER ON ONE SIDE THAN THE OTHER. THE PARACHUTE IS OBSERVED TO BE PARTIALLY INFLATED WITH THE TIPS OF ONE SIDE BEING DEFLATED. THE JUMPERS ARE OBSERVED IN A SPIN PRIOR TO GROUND CONTACT.
ACCORDING TO THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY, THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL VIA HELICOPTER. THE INSTRUCTOR SUSTAINED BROKEN RIBS, FRACTURED VERTEBRAE, AND CONCUSSION. THE INSTRUCTOR REMAINS UNCONSCIOUS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. THE STUDENT SUSTAINED A BROKEN HIP AND IS CONSCIOUS.