Veteran jumper dies when his parachutes fail to open
Friday, Aug. 1, 1997 | 9:11 a.m.
A seemingly routine video trip turned deadly for a veteran sky diver when his main and reserve parachutes, which authorities say he packed himself, failed to open during a jump near the Jean airport.
The Las Vegas man with over 750 jumps to his credit was making his third trip of the day using a helmet camera to videotape jumpers when the disaster happened at about 2:15 p.m. Thursday.
The victim's name has been withheld until relatives can be notified.
"The main chute streamed out behind him, it was fully extended but never opened," said Tom Cannarozzo, president and owner of the Las Vegas Sky Diving Club for whom the victim was free-lancing.
"Whether he pulled the reserve, or it came out from the impact, we'll never know."
Cannarozzo said he was standing at the landing site about three-quarters of a mile south of the Jean airport, looking skyward, when he saw his longtime friend falling.
A pair jumping tandem -- a tandem master and a passenger who were harnessed together -- were already in the air at the time, Cannarozzo said. The victim's task was to capture the pair's moment on videotape as he had done on two earlier trips at 9 and 11 a.m.
Evidence indicates that the main and reserve chutes came out of their containers but never out of the bags, which typically open up quickly, authorities said.
Members of Metro Police's search and rescue unit as well as the Civil Air Patrol teamed up to find the man's body, which landed about four miles south of the Jean Airport.
While Henderson, a few miles northeast was being deluged with rain, the skies south over Jean were sunny and clear at the time of the jump, Cannarozzo said.
He added that the jumpers while on board had performed a "pin check" upon each other to ensure all handles and cords were properly positioned. They jumped at approximately 10,500 feet from a Cessna 182.
The death was the first ever for the club which has been around since 1962.
"There are about 35,000 sky divers in the U.S. who make about three to five million jumps a year, and last year I think there were only 32 fatalities," Cannarozzo said. "It's extremely rare for this type of accident to happen."
The Las Vegas club's 80 enthusiasts either jump in tandem, by static line, or by accelerated free falling.
Cannarozzo said the victim was a family man who worked as a pit boss for Bally's hotel-casino. He had been videotaping jumps for the club for about two years, about the same time he attained his tandem master certification.
Tandem masters are required to have made a minimum of 500 jumps, pass a strenuous evaluation and certification course, possess a class D pilot's license, and pass an FAA medical examination.
"I've been around this sport a long time, and I've seen fatalities," Cannarozzo said. "Losing a friend is tough. It's really tough."
archive
- Most Read
- Discussed
- Most E-mailed
- Live Blog: Pacquiao wins by TKO in round twelve
- Police seek man who stole $2,000 worth of clothing
- Clubs want to be ‘good citizen,’ so stripper-mobile ends its run
- Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao: The only fight fans want to see
- Now we can all see Islamic extremism for what it truly is
- Nuclear plant in Ely could complicate radioactive waste, water issues
- Bruised and battered, Cotto says he will fight again
- Boulder City struggles with shocking allegations
- Ensign Federal Credit Union fails
- Manny Pacquiao says he feels stronger than ever
Blogs
Elsewhere
Dana White continues to push for event in Abu Dhabi
Politics: Ralston's Flash
Harry Reid is powerful for Northern Nevada, too!
The Kats Report
New face of Monte Carlo includes all the faces of Caliendo
The Greene Room
Predicting this weekend's Mountain West football slate (2 Comments)
Top Chef: Las Vegas
Top Chef Episode 11: Child's play
Miech Again
UNLV prez Smatresk is ready for some basketball (11 Comments)
Politics: The Early Line
Harry Reid's fourth TV ad begins running today
Calendar »
- 15 Sun
- 16 Mon
- 17 Tue
- 18 Wed
- 19 Thu
-
Actor's Expo at Rave Motion Pictures
Rave Motion Pictures Town Square 18 | 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
-
Lily Tomlin at the Hollywood Theatre
Hollywood Theatre at MGM Grand
-
Neil Sedaka at the Orleans
Orleans Hotel-Casino
-
Supernatural Santana – A Trip Through the Hits at The Joint
The Joint
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Technorati





