Nashville, October 5, 2025
News Summary
A tragic skydiving incident in Nashville involved the death of a 35-year-old instructor and the rescue of a first-time student who became lodged in a tree. The tandem jump went wrong when the instructor and student separated mid-air, leading to the student being rescued with an open parachute. Emergency services responded quickly, but the instructor was later found deceased. Investigations by the NTSB and FAA are ongoing as concerns grow over skydiving safety.
Nashville – A tragic skydiving incident on October 4, 2025, resulted in the death of a 35-year-old instructor and left a student, who was attempting his first jump, rescued after becoming lodged in a tree. The incident prompted an immediate response from emergency services to Ashland City Highway around 1 p.m. for reports of a parachute jumper in distress.
Witnesses reported seeing emergency vehicles in the area. One local resident, Ron Ulus, initially thought the activity was related to a problem with a friend’s property. During the tandem jump, the instructor and student became separated from their tandem rig mid-air. Following the separation, the student was found with an open parachute lodged in a tree in a wooded area on Ashland City Highway.
Rescue efforts involved Nashville Fire personnel, who successfully removed the student from the tree with the assistance of Ulus, who supplied climbing gear for the operation. Although it was the student’s first jump, and he stated it would also be his last, he was taken to the hospital as a precaution but is expected to be okay.
As for the instructor, he was presumed to have fallen from the plane without a parachute. His body was later located deceased in a clearing within the woods by a Metro Nashville Police Department helicopter. The instructor was found without a harness, leading to further investigations into the event.
The incident is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Officials have reported that three other skydivers who jumped earlier in the day landed safely. However, the plane, operated by Go Skydive Nashville, returned without incident to John C. Tune Airport following the day’s events.
Go Skydive Nashville issued a statement acknowledging the incident and affirmed their cooperation with authorities while expressing their commitment to maintaining high safety standards in their operations. The identity of the deceased instructor is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.
In light of this incident, concerns are rising regarding skydiving safety. For those interested, further skydiving safety statistics can be accessed at www.uspa.org/discover/faqs/safety.
FAQ
What happened during the skydiving incident in Nashville?
What were the circumstances of the jump?
What happened to the student after the incident?
What is known about the instructor?
Who is investigating the incident?
- Incident Date: October 4, 2025
- Location: Ashland City Highway, Nashville
- Casualties: 1 instructor dead, 1 student rescued
- Investigation: NTSB and FAA involved
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Additional Resources
- WSMV: Rescuer recalls assisting with deadly skydiving accident
- FOX17: Nashville fire department working to rescue parachute jumper
- NewsChannel5: Rescue crews respond to skydiving incident
- WKRN: Nashville crews work to rescue parachute jumper
- Wikipedia: Skydiving
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Skydiving
Author: HERE Nashville
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