Erick Miller, 30, of Irondequoit, was killed when he fell to the ground.
Orleans County Undersheriff Christopher Bourke said an investigation by his department and the Federal Aviation Administration revealed Miller’s main chute had deployed “possibly improperly,” and was found near his body but was not connected to Miller.
“Many questions remain, such as why the backup chute was not deployed by the jumper or why it didn’t automatically deploy as it should have,” Bourke said in a statement.
FAA experts are still examining the backup chute, he said.
Miller, an instructor with WNY Skydiving, located at Pine Hill Airport, was doing what is known as a sport jump with another club member about 7 p.m. The second diver safely landed on the ground in a field but was unable to find Miller.
Miller was found about two hours later in an open field about three quarters of a mile south of Pask Road. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Rocky Sidari.
Miller was an experienced skydiver with more than 700 jumps.
Original article can be found here: http://www.thedailynewsonline.com
BARRE, N.Y. (WIVB) — A skydiver from Rochester has died after falling into an orchard in Orleans County.
It happened at 7:23 p.m. Saturday at Pask Road near Pine Hill. He died at the scene, according to the Orleans County Coroner, Rocky Sidari.
Two skydivers with the Western New York Sky Diving Club flew out of Pine Hill Airport around 7:00 p.m. for a sport jump. Witnesses told Sheriff’s investigators the other skydiver began searching for the victim after safely landing.
The Western New York Skydiving Club identified the victim as 30 year-old Erick Miller. The club says Miller was an experienced instructor with over 700 civilian jumps and that details of the events leading to the fatal injuries are unclear and are under investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration, Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office, and Orleans County Sheriff’s Office are working together to figure out what happened.
Story and video: http://wivb.com
An experienced skydiver from Irondequoit died during a jump Saturday evening in Orleans County.
The skydiver, 30-year-old Erick Miller, went down in an open field off Pask Road in the town of Barre shortly before 7:30 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a news release issued by the Orleans County Sheriff's Office.
Witnesses reported to police that the victim and another skydiver, both members of WNY Skydiving, of Albion, departed the Pine Hill Airport around 7 p.m. to make what is known as a "sport jump," or a jump for sport. The victim's partner could not locate him upon arriving on the ground and initiated a search, with the plane assisting, according to police.
WNY Skydiving, which operates out of Pine Hill Airport, said Miller had more than 700 jumps of experience. It declined to comment further, as did Miller's family.
The cause of the accident is currently unknown. The Sheriff's Office is working with the FAA and the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office to determine the circumstances of the incident.
The Sheriff's Office said it was assisted at the scene by the New York State Police, Barre Fire Company and Clarendon Fire Company.
An unofficial database of skydiving fatalities is maintained by the United States Parachute Association (USPA). Of about 3.5 million jumps taken in the United States in 2015, only 21 resulted in a death. When there are serious accidents, the most common causes include collisions with other skydivers and "mistake landing a perfectly good canopy."
There are 10 skydiving drop zones in New York.
Separately on Sunday, there were two unrelated skydiving incidents at Skydive Finger Lakes in Ovid, Seneca County.
One man, a highly experienced skydiver, injured his hip during an "advanced landing maneuver," the company said. His equipment was fully functional.
Separately, a company pilot had mechanical problems and was forced to crash-land in a nearby field. The plane flipped upon landing, but the pilot was uninjured and no one else was on board.
Original article can be found here: http://www.democratandchronicle.com
The Orleans County Sheriff's Department is investigating a skydiving accident that occurred in the Town of Barre Saturday night.
30-year-old Erick Miller of Rochester was killed in a skydiving accident at Pask Road near Pine Hill around 7:30 p.m. Miller and another man he jumped with were members of the WNY Skydiving Club. When the other man reached the ground, he was unable to locate Miller. Miller was found less than a mile away in a field. Deputies say he died at the scene.
Miller is described as an experienced skydiver with more than 700 jumps. Authorities are investigating the reason behind the accident.
Original article can be found here: http://news.wbfo.org
BARRE – A skydiving instructor who was the veteran of more than 700 jumps was identified as the victim of a skydiving accident in this Orleans County town Saturday night, according to the Western New York Sky Diving Club.
Erick Miller, 30, was declared dead at the scene, off Pask Road near Pine Hill Road, about 7:30 p.m. by an Orleans County coroner. Miller and another member of the club jumped from the same plane, which flew out of Pine Hill Airport about 7 p.m.
His death is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration, Orleans County Sheriff's Office and Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office. Further details were not released Sunday.
Original article can be found here: http://buffalonews.com
This is why I refrain from activities where you have to be perfect all the time.
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