The sport of skydiving continues to improve its safety record. In 2010, USPA recorded only 21 fatal skydiving accidents in the U.S., indicating that the sport continues to become safer. In the 1970s, the sport averaged 42.5 skydiving fatalities per year. Since then, the average has dropped each decade. In the 1980s, the average was 34.1; in the 1990s, the average was 32.3, and in the first decade of the new millennium (2000-2009), the average dropped again to 25.8. With 21 fatalities in 2010, the annual average continues its decline.
In 2009, the USPA recorded the fewest fatal accidents in nearly 50 years—16—out of nearly 3 million jumps made by more than 32,000 USPA members and 400,000 first-time skydivers. That’s the fewest number of fatal accidents in more than four decades and a sharp contrast to the 56 skydivers who lost their lives in 1981.
With 14 fatalities, 1961—the first year records were kept—stands as the only year with fewer deaths than 2009. USPA was considerably smaller then, with just 3,353 members, and the total number of jumps was far fewer than today’s roughly 3 million jumps. To put this in perspective, in the 1960s, there was an average of 3.65 fatalities per thousand USPA members. In contrast, over the past five years, there has been an average of 0.67 fatalities per thousand USPA members. And estimating about 3 million jumps per year over the past five years, that’s one fatality per 141,509 skydives.
| Fatality Average per USPA Membership by Decade |
| |
|
|
|
| Decade |
Average fatalities per year |
Average membership per year |
Fatalities per thousand members |
| 1961-1969 |
28.55 |
7,832 |
3.65 |
| 1970-1979 |
42.5 |
12,939 |
3.28 |
| 1980-1989 |
34.1 |
15,748 |
2.17 |
| 1990-1999 |
32.3 |
28,294 |
1.14 |
| 2000-2009 |
25.8 |
32,376 |
0.80 |
| 2010 |
21 |
32,931 |
0.64 |
| |
|
|
|
| 2006-2010 |
21.2 |
31,705 |
0.67 |
| Fatalities per Total Jumps |
| |
|
|
|
| Year |
Skydiving Fatalities in U.S. |
Estimated Annual Jumps |
Fatalities Per 1000 Jumps |
| 2010 |
21 |
3.0 million |
0.007 |
| 2009 |
16 |
3.0 million |
0.005 |
| 2008 |
30 |
2.6 million |
0.012 |
| 2007 |
18 |
2.5 million |
0.007 |
| 2006 |
21 |
2.5 million |
0.008 |
| 2005 |
27 |
2.6 million |
0.010 |
| 2004 |
21 |
2.6 million |
0.008 |
| 2003 |
25 |
2.6 million |
0.010 |
| 2002 |
33 |
2.6 million |
0.013 |
| 2001 |
35 |
2.6 million |
0.013 |
| 2000 |
32 |
2.7 million |
0.012 |
In 2010, 1,308 USPA members reported skydiving injuries requiring medical attention. During the same year, USPA members and first-time students made roughly 3 million jumps. That’s roughly four injuries per 10,000 skydives.
These safety records stand as a testament to decades of strict safety standards, training policies and programs, including a
USPA Safety Day taking place every March, as well as improvements in skydiving equipment over the years.
Skydiving involves inherent risks, but most skydiving accidents result from human error. With proper preparation and good judgment, skydivers can minimize those risks. Thanks to safer equipment, better training and the staffs at more than 220 USPA-affiliated skydiving centers across the country, skydiving continues to get safer.
U.S. Skydiving Fatalities by Year
2010 – 21
2009 – 16
2008 – 30
2007 – 18
2006 – 21
2005 – 27
2004 – 21
2003 – 25
2002 – 33
2001 – 35
2000 – 32
1999 – 27
1998 – 44
Safe Skydiving Centers
Skydiving centers, clubs and schools that join as USPA Group Member drop zones are required to provide USPA-developed first-jump courses, use current USPA-rated instructors and provide USPA-required skydiving equipment. Click
here for a list of USPA Group Members.