SFL-2025-023 · Cause: Canopy collision
Partially verified Facts as reported in the sources below. This is not an official investigation.
Incident
- Date
- 21.06.2025
- Country
- USA
- Drop zone
- Skydive Atlanta
- Place
- Thomaston, Georgia
- Context
- Sport / fun jump
- Phase
- Canopy flight
Jumper
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 48
- Total jumps
- 163
- Years in sport
- 6
Equipment
- Main canopy
- 189 sq ft
- Wing loading
- 0.90 lb/sq ft
- RSL / MARD
- RSL
Cause
- Category
- Canopy collision
- Contributing factors
- Busy landing pattern
What happened
3-way formation jump from 14,000 ft. She flew her landing pattern in the opposite direction to other traffic and collided head-on with another canopy; the lines briefly tangled but both canopies reinflated. At about 400 ft she cut away; the reserve did not fully inflate before impact. She had been counselled earlier about incorrect patterns.
Lessons for safety
Follow the landing pattern and look before every turn. A low cutaway leaves very little time for the reserve.
Sources
- www.cogginsfuneralhome.com Other, Obituary
- www.uspa.org Federation, USPA 2025 fatality summary, case #5 (anonymous)
Is something wrong or missing? Send a correction and mention SFL-2025-023.