Most people hear the word “skydiving” and immediately envision a highly dangerous sport in which they would never participate for fear of a skydiving accident. In reality, skydiving is relatively safe. The United States Parachute Association estimates that 350,000 people in the United States complete approximately 3 million jumps each year. Yet there are only about 30 fatalities each year. Statistically, driving a car is more dangerous than skydiving.

Why is Skydiving Considered So Dangerous?

Despite the statistics to the contrary, skydiving is still considered an extremely dangerous activity. It is hard for most people to accept that jumping out of an airplane, parachute or not, is safe.

Ironically, the infrequency of accidents makes them more memorable whereas, in contrast, car accidents are far more common and don’t warrant the same scrutiny. Most people spend their whole lives driving and are never involved in a life-threatening accident. This personal experience leads them to believe that driving is safer than skydiving.

What Are the Causes of Most Skydiving Accidents?

Skydiving may not be as dangerous as most people think but it is still dangerous. Similar to paragliding, it is a sky sport where a simple mistake can cost you your life.

The following situations are important in each and every skydive:

• The quality and condition of the skydiver’s equipment
• The condition of the aircraft and the experience of the pilot transported the skydivers
• Weather conditions
• The behavior of other skydivers (someone else can make a mistake which can adversely affect you)
• The terrain of the dropzone

What Are The Most Common Causes of Skydiving Accidents?

Human error is by far the most common cause of skydiving accidents. Decisions have to be made in micro-seconds and even if a skydiver is well trained, they may not react in time. Equipment malfunctions are often the result of human error in cases of improper parachute packing or poor equipment maintenance.

Skydivers are passionate about their sport and feel that is unfairly categorized as a reckless activity. It is impossible to make skydiving risk-free but receiving expert training, maintaining equipment in peak condition and following all procedures helps reduce the dangers of a skydiving accident.