A 70-year-old skydiver died after a mid-air collision with another jumper during an 11-person group descent in Washington state, a rare accident that has drawn attention to the split-second risks skydivers face after parachutes are already open.
Skydiver Killed and Another Jumper Injured After They Collide Mid-Air During Group Descent Over Wa. https://t.co/FWlUBMH6Qr
— People (@people) May 26, 2026
Randy Hubbs, from Kennewick, Washington, was jumping with Skydive West Plains when he collided with 52-year-old Nicole Klein, of Colville, at about 1,000 feet above the ground on Sunday evening. Both skydivers were licensed, experienced and using their own equipment.
Officials said the group had a normal free fall and both parachutes deployed successfully before the collision. After the impact, Hubbs reportedly became incapacitated and was no longer able to control his parachute canopy.
Witnesses said he drifted away from the designated drop zone at around 500 feet, appearing unresponsive before disappearing beyond a hill northeast of the landing area. Emergency responders later confirmed his death.
Experienced jumpers and little room for error
The tragedy is especially striking because neither jumper was inexperienced. Hubbs had completed about 800 jumps, while Klein had around 900 jumps. Klein suffered a hip injury and was taken to hospital, but her injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Weather conditions are not believed to have contributed to the crash. That detail shifts attention away from the familiar public fear of failed parachutes and toward a quieter danger in skydiving: multiple canopies descending through the same airspace close to the ground.
In a group jump, the final descent requires constant awareness of altitude, speed, spacing and landing direction. At low height, even experienced jumpers may have only seconds to react when another canopy comes too close.
The accident follows another fatal parachuting incident in which an Australian SAS soldier was killed in a Jervis Bay parachute collision, underscoring how quickly canopy traffic can become dangerous near the ground.
Skydiving deaths remain rare, but each fatal incident is closely examined because the sport leaves little margin for error. The United States Parachute Association says its members made an estimated 3.47 million skydives in 2025, with 16 civilian fatalities recorded that year.
Skydive West Plains said it is cooperating with authorities and skydiving safety officials as the incident is reviewed. Investigators are expected to examine the descent, the jumpersâ positions and witness accounts to understand what led to the collision after deployment.
A loss felt beyond the drop zone
Hubbs was remembered as more than an experienced parachutist. He had been part of the Skydive West Plains community for years and was also known in the Kennewick area through his work in real estate and music education.
Tributes described him as a mentor, teacher and active community member. Former colleagues recalled his years as a music professor at Columbia Basin College, while local community members remembered his long involvement in civic and professional circles.
For those who knew Hubbs, the accident has become both a personal loss and a sobering reminder that experience can reduce risk but never remove it. A routine jump ended in seconds, leaving one veteran skydiver dead, another injured and a close-knit community mourning.
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