73-year-old ‘expert’ skydiver is killed after parachute fails to open at 14,000 feet
A seasoned 73-year-old skydiver from Arizona has died after his parachute failed to fully open during a jump with friends at 14,000 feet.
Terry Gardner and three fellow experienced skydivers were making their third jump of the day around noon Wednesday with Skydive Arizona in Eloy, police said in a statement.
The group planned a formation jump from about 14,000 feet but the attempt was unsuccessful.
Gardner then tried to open his parachute, but ran into trouble when the main canopy failed to fully deploy to slow his descent.
The other three skydivers landed safely, but Gardner plunged to the ground and was rushed to a hospital, where he later died.
“He died doing what he loved and pursuing his passions and his dreams,” Sara Curtis, vice mayor of Eloy and a longtime skydiver, told the news outlet AZFamily.
“He was an organizer, which means he led people on jumps,” she added. “He was sort of an expert skydiver that helped other people learn.”
Gardner lived in Casa Grande and was “a highly experienced skydiver with several thousands of jumps,” according to a statement from Skydive Arizona.
“The jumper did not deploy the reserve (second) parachute. The skydiver was jumping with parachute gear owned and maintained by the jumper and the weather conditions were clear and calm,” the company said. “An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the accident and no further statements will be made until the results of the investigation have been released.”
Federal Aviation Administration officials said the agency will investigate how the parachute was packed as well as flight rules for the pilot and aircraft.
“Having it happen to someone who’s within your own community, essentially within your own family is really hard,” said Curtis. “We’re going to miss him so much and we’re just going to remember him with all the joy that he lived.”
Curtis added that Gardner’s wife at one time worked at Skydive Arizona.
This is the second deadly incident involving skydiving in Eloy in less than a month.
On Jan. 14, a hot air balloon carrying skydivers crashed in a desert area of Eloy, leaving a Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides pilot and three people dead. Another person was critically injured.
Eight skydivers had safely jumped from the gondola before the balloon began experiencing problems. The FAA is still investigating that accident.
With Post wires
