37-year-old skydiver dies in plunge near New Jersey airport, police say

A seasoned skydiver fell to his death in a parachuting accident in New Jersey on Friday, Oct. 21, news outlets reported.

Brandon Jackson, a 37-year-old Michigan resident, was found in a field near the Alexandria Field Airport, located about 60 miles west of New York City, New Jersey State Police said, according to the Daily Voice.

First responders arrived around 2:30 pm and pronounced Jackson dead at the scene, according to the Birmingham Daily Journal.

Observers said it appeared as though his parachute had malfunctioned, according to WABC.

State officials and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the accident, according to the Associated Press.

“FAA investigations of skydiving accidents and incidents typically focus on inspecting the packing of the parachute and reserve parachute, and rules of flight for the pilot and aircraft,” the agency told McClatchy News over email.

The New Jersey State Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Jackson was a “tandem-master” and had skydived near the Alexandria Field Airport before, according to a 2018 Lehigh Valley Live article.

Skydiving fatalities have been trending downwards over the decades, partially as a result of enhanced safety features, according to the United States Parachute Association, a private organization.

“In 2021, USPA recorded 10 fatal skydiving accidents — the lowest year on record — a rate of 0.28 fatalities per 100,000 jumps,” states its website. “The reality is that the vast majority of skydiving accidents are a result of simple human error.”

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