Goulburn Adrenaline Skydive instructor and customer die

A skydive instructor and his customer have fallen from an aircraft before a tandem jump, landing on a runway in regional NSW.

Two skydivers have been killed in a horrific tandem jump accident at a regional NSW airport.

Police say the men fell from an aircraft which was in difficulty about 12.50pm on Sunday.

The Adrenaline Skydive instructor and his customer, both of whom are yet to be named, landed near the Goulburn Airport runway.

They were found unresponsive and couldn’t be revived.

Adrenaline Skydive spokesman Scott Marshall told The Daily Telegraph it was a “horrible day” for everyone involved.“

Sadly, a tandem master and passenger lost their lives. My heart goes out to their families. It’s been a horrible day for everyone involved here,” Mr Marshall said.

Two skydivers have died at Goulburn. Picture: TNV

Police at Goulburn Airport. Picture: TNV

“The skydiving community is extremely tight. We feel like brothers and sisters. I think everyone is in shock. It’s a challenging situation for everyone, including the first responders.”

Mr Marshall said he had been jumping for 18 months with the company.

“Safety is taken very seriously here. It’s a very unusual accident that has occurred. It does not reflect the company,” he said.

Mr Marshall said he did not know what went wrong with the jump, but the Australian Transport Safety Bureau would undergo an investigation to probe the deaths.

It was party cloudy in Goulburn on Sunday, with westerly winds from 15 to 20 km/h.

Goulburn Mulwaree Council Mayor Bob Kirk said it was “tragic news”.

“I feel very sorry for all the skydiving people and the family of the deceased,” he said.

The Australian Parachute Federation, the peak body for regulating the sport of parachuting, will also investigate the incident.

APF chief executive officer Richard McCooey said safety was “paramount” for the skydiving community.

“This is a terrible day for the skydiving community in Australia – and especially for the family and friends of

the two people who lost their lives,” Mr McCooey said.

“Safety is paramount for the skydiving community. We take every incident very seriously.”

Officers from The Hume Police District will prepare a report for the Coroner.

The Adrenaline Skydive website says an aircraft takes customers up to 15,000 feet to jump. Customers are given a 10 minute safety briefing before the flight.