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FAA Probes Tandem Skydive That Left Briton and Instructor Injured After 11,000-Foot Fall

Investigators are examining parachute packing and flight-rule compliance.

Mitchell Deakin
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Mitchell Deakin, from Lancashire, is recovering in hospital after sustaining a fractured pelvis, broken ribs, a perforated lung and a damaged kidney

Overview

  • A Las Vegas police report says the main canopy was blocked from fully opening by a reserve-related fault, with the reserve deployed only moments before impact at an estimated 35–45 mph.
  • Witness and instructor Mauro Ravanelli told police the secondary chute’s slider did not travel down to allow full inflation, sending the pair into an unrecoverable spin.
  • British tourist Mitchell Deakin, 25, had pelvic surgery and lung drainage and remains hospitalized in Las Vegas, while instructor Jiron Arcos Ponce, 54, remains in critical condition according to the hospital.
  • The FAA confirmed an ongoing inquiry focused on the packing of the main and reserve parachutes and the rules of flight, as local police treat the case as non-criminal.
  • Company involvement remains disputed, with the police report referencing a GoJump Las Vegas aircraft and Sin City Skydiving confirming Ponce’s employment, while a GoFundMe raises funds for Deakin’s medical and repatriation costs.