But Move Not Supported By The 81-Year-Old Student Who Nearly Fell To Her Death

An 81-year-old skydiving student who nearly fell from a tandem-jump harness that the FAA says was not properly secured by her instructor does not favor a fine against him. Rather, she says he saved her life.

The FAA says that the instructor ... Dennis J. JcGlynn ... did not properly secure the harness before he and Laverne Everett exited an airplane at 13,000 feet in celebration of her 80th birthday. Everett nearly fell out of the harness, but she and the instructor landed safely, according to a report appearing in the Modesto Bee. One of Everett's cousins posted the video of the incident was on YouTube, and it went viral.

Everett has been interviewed on the NBC "Today" show, and the video has been re-posted by several news outlets. All that media exposure caught the attention of the FAA, which sent a "Notice of Proposed Civil Penalty" to McGlynn, saying his failure to properly secure the harness put Everett at risk of slipping out and free-falling to the ground.

The owner of The Parachute Center based at the Lodi, CA airport, said the incident has been blown up "way out of proportion" by the media coverage, and that the FAA was overreacting. He also noted that the instructors are independent contractors. Everett said she would not say anything against the instructor, who has 30 days to respond to the FAA or simply pay the $2,200 fine.

(Image captured from YouTube video)

FMI: www.faa.gov