The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a skydiving accident in Riverside County in which an instructor and her student died after a “dust devil” reportedly sent them crashing into the ground.
Instructor Devrey LaRiccia and her student, Kayla Black, showed no problems when they made their tandem jump Aug. 2, according to eyewitnesses who saw them perform a normal free-fall jump.
LaRiccia and Black, both 28, were attached to the parachute when it deployed without issue, but as they neared the ground, the pair encountered a “dust devil” that caused turbulence and send them into a “hard landing,” according to the management with Skydive Perris.
Freddy Chase, LaRiccia’s husband, told KTLA-TV the tandem skydivers were 25 to 30 feet off the ground when they encountered the weather phenomenon and went into a downward spiral.
A “dust devil” is a rotation of hot air and dirt or debris that looks like a small, less-intense version of a tornado, according to the National Weather Service. They typically last only a few minutes and reach 500 to 1,000 feet into the air on average.
“Dust devils” are typically brief and unpredictable, but are common in the summer because of hot air rising from the ground, said National Weather Service meteorologist David Munyan. There was an extreme heat advisory in effect for parts of Riverside County on the day of the accident, but dust devils can form in all types of conditions, Munyan said.
“Every day is conducive to having one form,” Munyan said. “You can have one come out of a clear blue sky.”
The FAA will investigate the packaging of the main and reserve parachutes used in the jump, along with “the rules of flight for the pilot and aircraft,” the agency said in a statement. If they find no regulatory violations, the FAA will defer any further investigations to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
The women were found in a open field near the airport in the 2000 block of Goetz Road in Perris shortly after 2:30 p.m., according to sheriff’s officials.
The pair were rushed to the hospital, where they died from their injuries. LaRiccia died less than an hour after the accident and Black died Sunday, according to officials.
Skydive Perris said it is cooperating with authorities and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said there was no evidence of foul play.
LaRiccia, who worked for Skydive Perris as an instructor, often shared videos of herself skydiving on her Instagram. Chase memorialized his wife in a recent post.
“I loved you so much baby, everyone who has ever talk to you or seen you knew you were something special,” Chase said. “You loved skydiving, going on trips, spending time with friends and family no matter what is was you wanted to be in peoples lives and you never complained.”
Skydive Perris said LaRiccia “lived fully and inspired all of her colleagues.”
“She was passionate about introducing others to the sport of skydiving. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of both Devrey and the student,” the company said in a statement.
Her family is in the process of sending her body back to her hometown in Maine and have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for those expenses.
Black’s father, Bill Black, told KTLA-TV that his daughter recently purchased an RV and wanted to travel after renovating it.
“I know it’s not glamorous but that was her dream,” Black told the news station. “She loved to venture out and try different activities, such as skydiving.”
Her family started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for funeral expenses and any additional funds will be donated to charities in Black’s name.
“Her infectious smile and boundless enthusiasm for life brought joy to her family, friends, and all who knew her,” the family said in the GoFundMe campaign.