Mead-Area Sky Diver Deploys Reserve Chute For Safe Landing

A sky diver forced to use his reserve parachute Saturday caused some panic among passers-by below.

No one was hurt, but the fire department was called to a field near Mead Airport a few miles north of Spokane.

“It wasn’t even a close call,” said Andrew Strong, a member of the Spokane Skydiving Club.

Divers use their reserve chutes at least once every 1,000 jumps, Strong said.

The sky diver, who was forced to use his second parachute, was one of four experienced members who jumped out of the plane around 11 a.m.

When sky divers use the reserve chute, they discard the main parachute, which is at least 120-square-feet in size. That’s what causes people on the ground to panic, said Strong, who’s also an instructor for the Spokane Parachute Club.

The 40 members of the Spokane Skydiving Club jump every weekend in an area near Mead Airport. , DataTimes