Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Man dies in fall when wind causes parachute to fail

A man was killed in a fall Saturday after his parachute folded because of a change in wind pressure.

The man was identified as 51-year-old Richard Frazer, said Mike Murphy of the Clark County coroner’s office.

Frazer had jumped from 10,000 feet at Jean Airport and was in the final stages of his descent when he was caught in a dust devil. Murphy said Frazer died from blunt force trauma but did not know how high off the ground Frazer was when the parachute failed.

“It does not appear to be an equipment failure,” Murphy said. “This atmospheric event changed the airflow under the canopy, which caused the parachute to lose its lift and caused him to fall.”

Frazer was alone when he jumped from the plane, and Murphy said Frazer died on impact sometime between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.

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