Tandem-Jump Instructor Not Certified
Tandem-Jump Instructor Not Certified
I’m Ed Smith, a Lodi Personal Injury Attorney. The executive director for an organization that certifies skydivers indicated Thursday that the instructor who initiated a tandem jump in Lodi that turned deadly did not have the required advanced type of parachuting certificate.
Federal Aviation Administration Requirements For Tandem-Jump Instructors
The FAA requires tandem-jump instructors to have completed training and then receive a certificate from the U.S. Parachute Association. Sadly, the U.S. Parachute Association found no records at all for 25-year-old, Yong Kwon. Kwon was the instructor involved in a tandem skydiving accident with first-time jumper, 18-year-old Tyler Turner. The pair died in a Lodi vineyard Saturday, August 6, 2016, after their shared parachute did not open as planned.
Instructor Was From South Korea – Jumper From Los Banos CA
Instructor Kwon was from South Korea. His tandem jumper, Tyler Turner, was from Los Banos, California.
Search Turned Up No Advanced Certification for Instructor
Ed Scott, the director of the parachute association, said personnel searched through its records for Kwon’s name but found nothing. He said they searched using several different variations of the name but no records surfaced.
The director indicated that tandem-jump instructors must have three years of experience. They must have completed at least 500 jumps and successfully completed a three-day tandem-jump class that includes 10 more jumps.
Skydiving Schools Responsible For Ensuring Certification
Director Scott explained that skydiving schools are responsible to ensure that instructors are correctly certified.
The owner of the Parachute Center, Bill Dause, that set up the August 6 jump declined to comment on the instructor data. He previously commented to The Associated Press that Instructor Kwon had completed over 700 jumps.
Recent History of Accidents Involving Parachute Center
- 2012 Mid-Air Death
- 2013 Man Crashes After Parachute Becomes Tangled
- 2014 Parachute Does Not Open Causing Mid-Air Collision
- 2016 Man Passes Away After Parachute Malfunctions
- 2016 Lodi Skydiving Plane Crashes with 18 on-board
- 2016 Lodi Parachute Jump Kills two men
Watch the Youtube Video below – The video discusses some of the above-listed accidents at the Parachute Center in Lodi:
Victim’s Mother Extremely Angry
Tyler Turner’s mother indicated she was “extremely angry” of learning her son’s instructor was not correctly certified. Turner’s mother, Francine Salazar-Turner said she would have asked her son to hold off and wait for a properly certified instructor had she known about the certification status of Kwon. Turner’s mother has many unanswered questions and is demanding an investigation. She has stated that she will get to the bottom of this situation. She is determined to find out the answer as to how the Parachute Center has been allowed to operate like this.
A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, Ian Gregor could not comment as the investigation is underway.
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Lodi Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a Lodi personal injury attorney. If you or someone you hold dear has been severely injured or has passed away due to the negligence of another, please give me a call at (209) 227-1931 for free and friendly advice. I can also be dialed free of toll at (800) 404-5400. I have been helping people throughout Northern California recover appropriate compensation for their personal injuries and wrongful death claims for more than 34 years.
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Source of Tandem-Jump Instructor Not Certified – https://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_30235008/california-skydiving-deaths-instructor-jumping-los-banos-teen