Skydivers fall from 11,000 feet, hit ground at up to 45 mph, report says

JEAN, Nev. (KVVU/Gray News) - Two skydivers were hospitalized after parachute malfunctions caused them to hit the ground at speeds of up to 45 mph, according to a report.

Two sets of skydivers jumped out of a small plane flying under a skydiving company just before noon on Sept. 17, according to an incident report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

The report said the group was jumping from a height of 11,000 feet above the town of Jean, Nevada.

Police said that one set of the skydivers experienced a parachute malfunction, causing them to hit the ground at speeds of 35 to 45 mph.

The incident left them with “significant” injuries and they were transported by helicopter to UMC Trauma.

Police said the instructor of one of the jumpers had observed issues with the parachute.

He told police the primary parachute “was not working as well as it could have” and that the backup parachute had “greater issues.” According to the instructor, the parachute had a slide that didn’t go down all the way, preventing it from deploying.

Las Vegas Police said the Federal Aviation Administration is conducting its own investigation.