Skydiving company owner says 'poor choices' probably led to fatal accident

A skydiver died during a jump in Middletown Sunday.Watch this storyThe diver jumped at about 10:30 a.m. from Start Skydiving at 1707 Run Way.Start Skydiving owner John Hart said the 47-year-old man from Mason deployed his parachute below the recommended safe altitude of 3,500 feet.He said the man deployed it somewhere between 2,000 and 2,500 feet.“I will say we’ve made over 500,000 skydives in the 10 years we’ve been around and we have a flawless safety record. This was not any indication of safety, this was probably user error and multiple poor choices that led to fatal consequences,” Hart said.Witnesses told WLWT that when the parachute came out, it began spinning.The man hit the ground about a half a mile from the skydiving company at Hook Road and Carmody Boulevard and died on impact, officials said.The skydiver held a B-license intermediate skill level license with the United States Parachute Association and had 95 hours of jumping experience, Hart said.Hart also said this is a tough loss for the skydiving community."He learned to skydive here. He was a super nice guy. It's tragic to lose a friend because we're such a tight knit family when it comes to skydiving," Hart said.Hart said the skydiver has relatives in Tennessee.The man has not yet been identified as state troopers were having trouble notifying his family.Officials said the Federal Aviation Administration will handle the investigation.In 2014, a Start Skydiving employee died after she was struck by an airplane propeller.

A skydiver died during a jump in Middletown Sunday.

Watch this story


The diver jumped at about 10:30 a.m. from Start Skydiving at 1707 Run Way.

Start Skydiving owner John Hart said the 47-year-old man from Mason deployed his parachute below the recommended safe altitude of 3,500 feet.

He said the man deployed it somewhere between 2,000 and 2,500 feet.

“I will say we’ve made over 500,000 skydives in the 10 years we’ve been around and we have a flawless safety record. This was not any indication of safety, this was probably user error and multiple poor choices that led to fatal consequences,” Hart said.

Witnesses told WLWT that when the parachute came out, it began spinning.

The man hit the ground about a half a mile from the skydiving company at Hook Road and Carmody Boulevard and died on impact, officials said.

The skydiver held a B-license intermediate skill level license with the United States Parachute Association and had 95 hours of jumping experience, Hart said.

Hart also said this is a tough loss for the skydiving community.

"He learned to skydive here. He was a super nice guy. It's tragic to lose a friend because we're such a tight knit family when it comes to skydiving," Hart said.

Hart said the skydiver has relatives in Tennessee.

The man has not yet been identified as state troopers were having trouble notifying his family.

Officials said the Federal Aviation Administration will handle the investigation.

In 2014, a Start Skydiving employee died after she was struck by an airplane propeller.