Pregnant Woman Survives Chute Accident | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.12.25

Airborne-NextGen-05.13.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.14.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-05.15.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.16.25

Wed, Dec 14, 2005

Pregnant Woman Survives Chute Accident

"I Prepared For The Worst And I Got The Best"

To say that Shayna Richardson feels lucky to be alive would be an understatement -- times two.

The 21-year-old Arkansas woman started skydiving back in May, and was on her first solo jump two months ago when the unthinkable happened: her parachutes -- that's plural, both the main and the reserve -- failed to open fully. Her instructor caught the whole horrifying ordeal on tape as she spiraled to the ground, before landing face-down at 50 miles per hour in the airport parking lot.

"Several things flashed through my mind," said Richardson to CBS. "But of course, the first one is, you know, 'This is going to be a death. It's going to be a fatality. There is no fixing this.'"

"Right before I hit," she said, "I let go and I just, I told God, I said, 'Alright, I know I'm going home now. Just please don't make it hurt.'"

Amazingly, not only did she survive, but in the emergency room Richardson also learned she was pregnant -- and her unborn baby was doing fine.

"You can't imagine how blessed I feel," Richardson said. "To be alive, and then to have my baby be healthy is just more than I could ever have imagined or expected. I prepared for the worst and I got the best."

After receiving four operations to insert 15 plates in her face, as well as two breaks in her pelvis and a broken right fibula, Richardson is now making the rounds on the talk show circuit telling of her ordeal -- and baby, safe and sound, is due in June.

While she freely admits she never would have gone on the jump had she known she was pregnant, Richardson told another news program she does plan to jump again.

"You've got to do it once to understand" the appeal, Richardson told ABC.

FMI: www.uspa.org

Advertisement

More News

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.15.25)

"Our 6,000th helicopter built in Canada demonstrates our commitment to manufacturing aircraft capable of performing the most critical missions, as well as our dedication to contrib>[...]

NTSB Final Report: Avia Stroitel AC-5M

(Pilot) Applied Gentle Aft Pressure On The Control Stick To Regain Control, But An Inflight Separation Of The Right Wing Ensued Analysis: The pilot stated the airspeed may have bee>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.15.25)

Aero Linx: Taylorcraft Foundation, Inc. The Foundation typically participates in 3 events each year: Sun-n-Fun; Lakeland Florida USA. Flyin Taylorcraft, Aeronca and Funk: Barber Ai>[...]

Airborne 05.09.25: Frecce Tricolori MidAir, A6M3 Zero Returns, Houthis Bombed

Also: Hartzell Pathfinder Carbon Prop, RAF Flyby, Qatar's BIG Boeing Order?, ‘Luxury Aircraft Tax’ Three MB-339 jets from the Italian Air Force’s aerobatic demons>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.16.25)

Aero Linx: International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA) IFATCA is the recognised international organisation representing air traffic controller associ>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC