Nashville Skydiving Instructor Dies After Fall Without Parachute, Student Rescued

A tragic skydiving accident occurred near Nashville when instructor Justin Robert Fuller, 35, and a 46-year-old student became stuck on the side of a plane during a tandem jump and then separated mid-air. Fuller fell to his death without a parachute, while the student deployed an emergency parachute and became lodged in a tree, where he was rescued after several hours. The incident took place near Ashland City Highway after jumping from a plane operated by Go Skydive Nashville, which landed safely following the jump. Emergency responders, including multiple Metro Nashville Police helicopter crews and the Nashville Fire Department, conducted extensive rescue operations. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the accident, which has raised questions about how Fuller separated from the tandem rig. Fuller was an experienced instructor with over 5,000 jumps and had recently joined Go Skydive Nashville after six seasons with Skydive Tennessee, and his death has deeply affected the local skydiving community.