# So how many skydiving deaths are normal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 15, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980 "2018-10-15T14:25:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/1 "2018-10-15T14:25:54Z")
The Lodi Parachute Center has hit [20 fatalities at its facility since it opened in 1981](https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article220030500.html#storylink=latest_side). Seems rather like a lot, and hard to work into a successful advertising campaign. But it also got me wondering, just what is the average fatality rate at a skydiving company? Is close to one a year normal? Do skydivers go ranking the facilities they use by the number of deaths there? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/2 "2018-10-15T15:19:40Z")
Years vs. # jumps ? Surely some locations are busier than others. ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/3 "2018-10-15T15:21:04Z")
According to the United States Parachuting Association, there are an estimated 3 million jumps per year, and the fatality count is only 21 (for 2010). That’s a 0.0007% chance of dying from a skydive, compared to a 0.0167% chance of dying in a car accident (based on driving 10,000 miles). From a google search of skydiving fatality results - first result. ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/4 "2018-10-15T15:25:33Z")
Skydiving has interested me, in Calgary one of the skydiving clubs also had a very high death rate, does not build confidence. I also used to fly Cessnas looking to finish my pilot’s license. I looked up death rates for that class of planes, and it was crazy high compared to jetliners such as “[Private aircraft](https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/198/how-dangerous-is-flying-in-a-single-engine-plane) have a fatality rate about 19 times greater than driving. It is also true that a majority of the accidents that occur are pilot error (71%) and could have been prevented.” ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/5 "2018-10-15T15:41:53Z")
> [@Mikemike2](#): > > According to the United States Parachuting Association, there are an estimated 3 million jumps per year, and the fatality count is only 21 (for 2010). That’s a 0.0007% chance of dying from a skydive, compared to a 0.0167% chance of dying in a car accident (based on driving 10,000 miles). From a google search of skydiving fatality results - first result. Comparing the chance of dying from a single jump to the chance of dying from driving for an entire year seems a little suspicious. However, granting the accuracy of these numbers, you’d have to jump every other week to have equal chances of dying from the skydiving as from driving, which doesn’t seem horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/6 "2018-10-15T15:45:25Z")
Bill Dana had a comedy routine in which he referred to his skydiving club as being called “The Survivors”. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/7 "2018-10-15T16:24:21Z")
It seems we can’t answer the OP’s question without knowing how many jumps per year are made by the Lodi Parachute Center. Skimming through their website ([http://parachutecenter.com](http://parachutecenter.com)) I didn’t find that information. One correction to the OP – the Center opened in 1964, not 1981. The cited article said that they had 20 deaths since 1981; no information on deaths between 1964 and 1981. Still, a 38 year fatality number equal to the annual fatalities in the whole country does seem way above average, since I’m sure that the Lodi center accounts for a lot less than 1/38 of all jumps in the US. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/8 "2018-10-15T16:38:32Z")
Need more information. How many jumps? Were the dying jumpers all using a “first jump free” Groupon? Are the statistics swayed by a single mass-casualty event (a plane crash)? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/9 "2018-10-15T16:42:14Z")
Were any of those fatalities from a diver coming down on the freeway? The center is just to the west of State Route 99 and the prevailing wind must usually be east because every time I’ve seen a group come down while driving 99 it’s looked like they were headed straight for the freeway. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/10 "2018-10-15T17:11:48Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Were any of those fatalities from a diver coming down on the freeway? The center is just to the west of State Route 99 and the prevailing wind must usually be east because every time I’ve seen a group come down while driving 99 it’s looked like they were headed straight for the freeway. I’ve never heard of someone coming down on the freeway, and I’d expect that to make the news. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/11 "2018-10-15T17:15:46Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Need more information. How many jumps? Were the dying jumpers all using a “first jump free” Groupon? Are the statistics swayed by a single mass-casualty event (a plane crash)? From what I’ve gathered their fatalities involves single chute fatalities, and tandem fatalities (instructor and student). They’ve been frequent enough the last few years the place has been making the news. They did have a place crash into a vineyard a few years ago, but it wasn’t a fatal event. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/12 "2018-10-15T18:23:20Z")
There are a lot of jumps made by the military. It would be interesting to compare the fatality rate between the military and these commercial/civilian jumping businesses. I would guess in the military there is substantial effort and time put into care and proper use of all equipment. I heard briefly this latest fatality the center stated “the skydiver used their own equipment”, somehow mollifying their accountability into the death. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/13 "2018-10-15T18:30:03Z")
[Skydiving accident](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gleaners#/media/File:Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Millet_-_Gleaners_-_Google_Art_Project_2.jpg) ‘I found some!’ ‘Here’s more!’ ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/14 "2018-10-15T19:50:50Z")
> [@Mikemike2](#): > > According to the United States Parachuting Association, there are an estimated 3 million jumps per year, and the fatality count is only 21 (for 2010). Which means that around one jump in 142,000 is fatal. Considering that a lifetime total of several thousand jumps is a lot, this tends to imply the sport is reasonably safe. And it should be noted that fatal accident are rarely random events - as is true of essentially all branches of aviation (and indeed much of human activity), most involve multiple failures to adhere to known safe procedures. So a jumper who makes a habit of respecting those procedures can expect a far lower than average chance of a fatal accident. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/15 "2018-10-15T20:18:58Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Which means that around one jump in 142,000 is fatal. Considering that a lifetime total of several thousand jumps is a lot, this tends to imply the sport is reasonably safe. > > And it should be noted that fatal accident are rarely random events - as is true of essentially all branches of aviation (and indeed much of human activity), most involve multiple failures to adhere to known safe procedures. So a jumper who makes a habit of respecting those procedures can expect a far lower than average chance of a fatal accident. Right. But, skydiving (and scuba diving) have nearly no margin for error. If something goes wrong, the chances of being killed are pretty high (as opposed to just being maimed). Are there any stats on skydiving injuries compared to deaths? It seems like mainly an all-or-nothing activity - you either live to tell about it, unscathed, or die. There are not a lot of activities you can be doing with those risks. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/16 "2018-10-15T20:40:53Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > There are a lot of jumps made by the military. It would be interesting to compare the fatality rate between the military and these commercial/civilian jumping businesses. I would guess in the military there is substantial effort and time put into care and proper use of all equipment. He jumped into the icy blast his static line unhooked, AND HE AIN’T GONNA JUMP NO MORE. Gory, Gory, what a helluva way to die, Gory, Gory, what a helluva way to die, Gory, Gory, what a helluva way to die, He ain’t gonna jump no more. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/17 "2018-10-15T20:57:44Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > He jumped into the icy blast his static line unhooked, > > AND HE AIN’T GONNA JUMP NO MORE. > > Gory, Gory, what a helluva way to die, > Gory, Gory, what a helluva way to die, > Gory, Gory, what a helluva way to die, > > He ain’t gonna jump no more. _ **Stuck in Lodi again.** _ Just about a year ago I set out on the road Seekin’ my fame and fortune Lookin’ for a pot of gold Thing got bad things got worse I guess you will know the tune Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again … Creedence Clearwater Revival ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/18 "2018-10-15T21:07:16Z")
No more than one each. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/19 "2018-10-16T11:01:07Z")
> [@Mikemike2](#): > > According to the United States Parachuting Association, there are an estimated 3 million jumps per year, and the fatality count is only 21 (for 2010). That’s a 0.0007% chance of dying from a skydive, compared to a 0.0167% chance of dying in a car accident (based on driving 10,000 miles). From a google search of skydiving fatality results - first result. Thanks for those numbers. I once jumped with a guy, it was his first time, and his main chute failed. Fortunately his reserve chute didn’t. Beginner’s luck, I guess, to have that experience on his first (and only) jump. That was back in the late 1980s, and it was at a small airfield near Lawton OK. Lodi isn’t far from where I live now. I don’t think I’ll go there to jump any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980/20 "2018-10-16T13:21:05Z")
Who says jumping from airplanes is normal? Wouldn’t this make all skydiving deaths normal? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-skydiving-deaths-are-normal/822980.md?page=2)