The Nashville skydiving community is in mourning after the death of 35-year-old skydiving instructor Justin Robert Fuller during a tandem jump this past Saturday. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), Fuller fell from the plane without a parachute after becoming separated from his 46-year-old skydiving student, following an incident in which both got stuck on the side of the plane in a tandem rig.
MNPD found Fuller's body in a wooded area off Ashland City Highway. Found lodged in a tree, after deploying his emergency parachute, was the student. Aided by MNPD's helicopter crew, the student was rescued safely by the Nashville Fire Department. Operating out of John C. Tune Airport, the plane belonged to Go Skydive Nashville which safely returned after the occurrence, as reported by NewsChannel 5. The Federal Aviation Administration has since been leading the investigation into the incident.
Fuller, who was affectionately nicknamed "Spidey" by friends, had completed more than 5,000 jumps and was known for training military personnel. A heartbroken friend reflected on the loss on social media stating, "Justin Fuller Spidey, your infectious positive approach to life, the way you were there for people, the lessons you shared and the impact you had is one of the best gifts I'll carry with me until we meet again," as noted by FOX 17 News. Sources close to the incident said that the harness equipment from the student was found intact, leading to further questions regarding the specifics of Fuller's untimely separation during the jump.
While the skydiving community processes this tragedy, a visit to Music City Skydiving in Humphreys County Airport provided insight into general tandem jump procedures and the culture surrounding the oft-misunderstood sport, as experienced skydiving instructor Derek Whipkey shared. While Whipkey couldn't comment on Saturday's incident, he said that "all skydiving equipment is fairly over-engineered to make sure that it's much stronger and more robust than it even needs to be" and added that "like any other recreational activity, there are, of course, risks, and anytime that there's an injury or a fatality, it’s a tragedy" in an interview with NewsChannel 5.
