Skydiving Instructor Dies in Nashville Accident

Student survives after tandem rig malfunction, but the FAA investigation is hampered by funding lapse.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, October 06, 2025 at 03:45 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Skydiving instructor Justin Fuller was killed in a tandem jump attempt accident. [Credit: Facebook]

Key Takeaways:

A skydiving instructor, Justin Fuller, died in Nashville after falling without a parachute during a tandem jump with a student.
Preliminary reports indicate Fuller and the student may have become stuck on the side of the airplane, leading to Fuller's separation from the rig.
The student's emergency parachute deployed, and they were rescued from a tree with minor, non-life-threatening injuries.
Nashville authorities are investigating the incident, which involved an experienced instructor from Go Skydive Nashville.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Authorities in Nashville, Tennessee, are investigating the accident that killed a skydiving instructor over the weekend.

According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, instructor Justin Fuller, 35, from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, fell to earth without a parachute.