WAVERLY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Sunday Evening Update: According to authorities, the skydiving instructor who died Saturday when he fell from the sky without a parachute has been identified as Justin Robert Fuller, 35, of Murfreesboro.
According to a press release, Fuller and a 46-year-old student became stuck on the side of the plane in a tandem rig, and then became separated.
We’re learning more about the skydiving incident this weekend that claimed a life and caused a second person to be rescued.
According to Metro Nashville Police Department, on Saturday their helicopter crew found a 35-year-old skydiving instructor dead in the clearing of a wooded area of Ashland City Highway.
Officers believe the instructor became separated from the skydiver jumping tandem with them and fell without a parachute.
The skydiver was stuck in a tree in an open parachute in the woods, but crews were able to get him down and get him treatment.
Metro Police said three other skydivers who jumped moments earlier landed safely, and the plane landed safely at John C. Tune Airport.
Click here for more information about the rescue effort of the skydiver.
I reached out about this incident to the skydiving company based at Tune airport, it's called Go Skydive Nashville.
I received the following statement from them.
“Go Skydive Nashville reports that a skydiving incident occurred on
Saturday, October 4, 2025, resulting in the tragic loss of one life.
Details of the incident are still being determined, and Go Skydive Nashville is
cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation. The identity of
the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Go Skydive Nashville remains dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of
training, safety, and professionalism. At this time, the team is focused on supporting
those affected by this tragedy. No further statements will be made pending additional information."
As details continue to emerge about this incident, I wanted to take a closer look at the sport of skydiving as a whole in middle Tennessee.
So I stopped by a different skydiving operation at the Humphreys County Airport called Music City Skydiving.
The instructors here walked me through some of their pre-jump procedures and explained some of the appeal of this sport for the tight-knit community that participates in it.
"I've been skydiving for about 12 years now. I've been working as an instructor for about 10 of those years," said Derek Whipkey, a skydiving instructor for Music City Skydiving.
While the FAA is investigating Saturday's incident, so many questions remain unanswered.
However, police believe an instructor and skydiver may have become separated during a tandem jump.
So I asked Whipkey to show me in general how tandem jumps work.
He said there are four points of connection between the skydiver and the instructor, and the instructor is
He said the gear is built to hold more weight than it may need.
“All skydiving equipment is fairly over-engineered to make sure that it's much stronger and more robust than it even needs to be,” Whipkey said.
While he's unable to comment the incident from Saturday as it happened at a different sky dive operation, he said someone losing their life doing a sport they love is a tragedy.
“Like any other recreational activity, there are, of course, risks, and anytime that there's an injury or a fatality, it’s a tragedy,” Whipkey said.
Whipkey also said the folks who skydive in our area, whether instructors or jumpers, are a tight group.
“That sense of community is a huge part of what we do,” Whipkey said.
This is a developing story, we’ll continue to follow.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
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