Lodi Parachute Center skydiving accident: 18th death post FBI investigation. The latest in unrelenting deaths at an Acampo, California skydiving operative.
An Acampo, California sky diving center has found itself under fire after a female skydiver plunged to her death on Sunday.
Upon news of a female skydiver’s chute failing to properly deploy, social media users lambasted Skydive Lodi Parachute Center, with users demanding the operative close its doors – following the 19th recorded death since the operative opened in the 1980’s.
Of note, six of the deaths have come between 2016 and 2018- with 15 deaths recorded between 1999 to 2017.
FOX40 reported the woman who died having been involved in the extreme sport for decades (40 years) and on the day of her jump using her own equipment.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that the coroner’s office was investigating the skydiving death- with authorities declining to reveal the female skydiver’s name or age.
The Federal Aviation Administration says they were not focused on the wind and were instead looking at the jumper’s parachute. Usually, FAA probes are limited to if the chute was packed properly and by the appropriate person. The FAA were advised the veteran skydiver packing her own equipment.
Pursuant to the string of deaths at the end of 2016, the U.S. Parachute Association suspended 20 center instructors – with investigators determined 120 more needed more training.
The operative has been ongoing accused of lax training and various safety and maintenance violations.
Federal agents raided the center earlier this year but the FBI has not released any further details about that operation.
The @FAANews is now correcting the details it provided earlier about the latest skydiver death at the #LodiParachuteCenter. When it comes to her parachute, instead of “failed to deploy,” the agency is NOW SAYING “it failed to properly deploy.” She packed her own equipment.@FOX40 pic.twitter.com/6iD8YtJeOt
— Sonseeahray Tonsall (@tonsalltv) October 15, 2018
A veteran female skydiver “with thousands of jumps” died in a failed jump this afternoon at the troubled Lodi Parachute Center, which has seen at least 15 deaths between 1999 and 2017 and was raided earlier this year by federal agents. https://t.co/BlXp7mf8Cx
— Recordnet (@Recordnet) October 15, 2018
