1st Solo Fatality at Skydive Chicago

[mikea]

...before he left (the country), the software engineer wanted to follow his passion and parachute solo for the first time.

“None of us liked it because we knew the dangers involved,” said his brother-in-law, Rajalingam Arunachalam. “But he was very passionate about it.”

His worst fears were realized when the 30-year-old Balakrishman died Sunday after encountering trouble shortly after his chute opened in the skies over downstate Ottawa. Witnesses say Balakrishnan went into "several radical turns" before he lost control and slammed to the ground, according to the LaSalle County sheriff's office.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...n-skydiving-accident-20110510,0,5027029.story

Reporting 101: At the end the article calls it "the Dayton facility" in Lake County which sent me for a loop.

 

[RickH]

RIP. We have a very active skydiving operation on our field; only one fatality in 15 years. I fly right seat in their Caravan once in a while. One of the regular jumpers has the vehicle plate, "XXXXXXX". I tell everyone that's the universal symbol for "splaaat".

 

[ScottM]

Isn't there some controversy about Skydive Chicago operating at less than what is considered safe modes of operation? I seem to recall some scandal with them recently about their lack of safety and a higher than normal fatality rate.