MARICOPA, Ariz. — A skydiving student died and an instructor was injured in a tandem jump in Arizona, authorities said Saturday.
Pinal County Sheriff’s spokesman Mark Clark says a malfunction or failure occurred, leading to a hard-impact landing during the jump in Maricopa. Firefighters were called around 10:30 a.m. and pronounced the 26-year-old female student dead. The 40-year-old male instructor was hospitalized with two broken legs and was expected to survive.
The instructor works at Skydive Phoenix, which operates a drop zone for skydivers in Maricopa about 34 miles south of Phoenix. They were taking part in a tandem jump in which two people, typically a certified skydiver or instructor and a student, are joined by a harness. The instructor is tied behind the student. According to Skydive Phoenix’s website, the harness is attached to a student at four points — two at the shoulders and two at the waist. To participate in a tandem jump, a person must be at least 18 years old and weigh no more than 230 pounds.
In a post on their Facebook page, Skydive Phoenix said the student was conducting her second jump for their Accelerated Skydiving Program and a main parachute did not deploy. A reserve parachute was flying properly but encountered turbulence during the landing. Company officials said turbulence or possibly a dust devil turned the parachute into the ground at the last second.