Once is an accident, twice is a tragedy, but three times is a pattern.
Videos by Wide Open Country
A skydiving center in Arizona has come under scrutiny after three skydivers have fallen to their deaths in just two months. Of course, jumping from a plane is always going to come with risk, but this is unusually high.
The facility, known as Skydive Arizona in Eloy is known for having the largest drop zone in the world. This makes it a real hotspot for jumpers. But, even with the increased numbers, losing three skydivers in such a short time is cause for concern.
Despite seeming like a dangerous sport, there are remarkably few deaths. According to the United States Parachute Association, there is less than 1 death per 100,000 jumps.
The cause for all three of the skydiver's deaths was, of course, landing. It's always going to be the ground that kills you in these situations. Because of this, the FAA won't be pinning blame on anyone but the divers. In a skydiving company, as long as the pilot has done their job well, the business is free from blame.
Three Bad Landings
The three people who lost their lives came within only weeks of one another. The first, Anne Wick, had 267 jumps under her canopy. According to her skydiving friend, the problem occurred as she prepared to land. There were issues with the canopy as she prepared to touch down. Her friend was kind enough to highlight the obvious in their statement: "The most dangerous times during a skydive is during the landing."
The second of the three skydivers to lose their lives in two months was 46-year-old Shawn Bowen. He had already completed more than 200 jumps. However, he must have rushed the parachute pack on his final jump as it failed to open. He died from multiple blunt force trauma on impact.
The most recent death at Skydive Arizona was a highly experienced 47-year-old man. He had over 25,000 jumps under his belt before his fatal one. According to the report, he tried an "advanced landing maneuver at a low altitude, which did not allow sufficient time for a safe landing."
After 25,000 jumps the thrill was obviously wearing off. Not satisfied with jumping out of a plane, he attempted something fancy.
