Sky-Diving Operator Arraigned

The former operator of a sky-diving center where 13 people have died since 1972 was arraigned Monday on manslaughter charges in the two most recent deaths.

A grand jury indictment charges Ted Mayfield in the deaths of an 85-year-old novice in 1994 and a veteran sky diver in 1993. In both cases, their main parachutes failed to open.

Mayfield maintains he is not responsible for the deaths, saying the sport is dangerous and the number of fatalities was not unusual.

The U.S. Parachute Association suspended Mayfield’s instructor’s rating a month before the 85-year-old man’s March 1994 death. Federal officials said the man was outfitted with a parachute designed for experienced jumpers.