According to NBC News, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office in central California said the accident happened around 1:30 p.m. at a skydiving center in Acampo. Two skydivers collided in mid-air about 30 seconds after jumping from the plane. One skydiver's leg hit another's head, causing the latter to lose consciousness and fail to open their parachute, leading to death. The former landed safely at the nearby Lodi Airport but suffered a leg fracture.
The center's owner said the two were good friends who had gone skydiving together at least 400 times. They were very experienced, well-known, and respected in the local area.
The owner also mentioned that there had been eight previous skydiving accidents. Despite the fatal and injury incident that day, many people continued to skydive after a brief pause.
Fox News reported that this skydiving center in Acampo had been heavily fined by the Federal Aviation Administration. In 2010, it was fined $664,000 for failing to replace aircraft parts as required, not complying with safety regulations, and having critical components exceed their service life.
In 2011, the center was again fined $269,000 by the aviation administration for failing to comply with the 2009 airworthiness management regulations.
The Federal Aviation Administration will arrive at the scene on April 30 to investigate the accident.