Midair parachute collision leads to tragedy for experienced skydiver

An experienced skydiver is dead after her parachute struck another jumper at a Georgia airport over the weekend. 

Authorities identified the victim as 48-year-old Jasmine Black, a seasoned skydiver with more than 160 jumps under her belt, according to Upson County Sheriff Dan Kilgore. 

An initial investigation revealed Black’s parachute struck the gear of a fellow jumper while the pair were approaching a landing zone at Skydive-Atlanta, located at the Thomaston Upson County airport, the sheriff said.

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Black reportedly “cut away” her main parachute, a maneuver that involves disconnecting the gear from a diver’s harness in the event of an emergency, according to Kilgore. Black then attempted to deploy her emergency parachute, but was unsuccessful due to the low altitude. 

Authorities were called to the facility just before 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, where first responders located “a deceased skydiver” on the tarmac, Kilgore said. 

“This is a tragic event,” Kilgore said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We ask that we keep Jasmine Black’s family in prayer, as well as the others involved.”

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also responded to the incident and is assisting local law enforcement in the investigation. 

“The FAA investigates the packing of the main and reserve parachutes, and the rules of flight for the pilot and aircraft,” the FAA said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “If the FAA does not find any evidence of regulatory violation, it will defer any further investigation of the accident to local law enforcement.”

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The second jumper landed without injury, according to the facility. 

“The entire skydiving community feels the weight of any loss within the sport, and this tragedy is no exception,” Skydive-Atlanta said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Skydive-Atlanta extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Jasmine Black. The team is grieving alongside all those affected.”