Record-holding parachutist Sergei Sergienko dies after 6,000 m jump in Ryazan region
In short
Parachutist Sergei Sergienko, a record-holder, died after a jump from 6,000 m in the Ryazan region, TASS and Vedomosti reported. Vedomosti said he lost control during the jump on 4 October at the Krutitsy aerodrome in Shilovsky district, was taken to hospital and died there, and that investigators opened a criminal case over services not meeting safety requirements.
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A parachutist identified as record-holder Sergei Sergienko died after a jump from a height of 6,000 m in the Ryazan region, TASS and Vedomosti reported. [ 1 , 2 ]
Vedomosti reported that Sergienko jumped on 4 October at the Krutitsy aerodrome on the 284th km of the M-5 highway in Shilovsky district, that he lost control during the jump and struck the ground, and that he was taken to hospital where he died. Vice-president of the Russian Parachuting Federation Vadim Niyazov said the federation extended condolences to the relatives and described Sergienko as an experienced athlete and a frequent participant in record jumps who did not cope with control on landing; according to witnesses, Vedomosti reported, his final manoeuvre before landing was very aggressive and he failed to handle it, hitting the ground hard. [ 2 ]
Vedomosti also reported that the West Interregional Investigative Directorate for Transport of the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under point “в” of part 2 of article 238 of the Russian Criminal Code, covering the provision of services not meeting safety requirements that led to a person's death by negligence. [ 2 ]
According to Vedomosti, Sergienko was 57 years old and had made about 3,000 jumps. He was part of a team of 22 athletes that in 2019 built four figures in the air in sequence, setting a world record, and he was also part of a team that set another world record in 2024, when an aircraft carrying the athletes climbed to 4,500 m and the parachutists built a “flower” in free fall at night. [ 2 ]
TASS reported the death in a headline and a short summary, identifying the parachutist as record-holder Sergienko and giving the height of the jump, without reporting the aerodrome, the hospital or the criminal case. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The death of an experienced record-holding parachutist and the criminal case opened over service safety put the practices of parachuting clubs and jump organisers under scrutiny in Russia. The story has limited relevance beyond Russia, where parachuting records and the M-5 highway area are of mainly local interest.
Key facts
- Parachutist Sergei Sergienko died after a jump from 6,000 m in the Ryazan region, according to TASS and Vedomosti. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Vedomosti reported that he jumped on 4 October at the Krutitsy aerodrome on the 284th km of the M-5 highway in Shilovsky district. [ 2 ]
- He was taken to hospital and died there, Vedomosti reported. [ 2 ]
- Vice-president of the Russian Parachuting Federation Vadim Niyazov said Sergienko was an experienced athlete and a frequent participant in record jumps who failed to handle a final manoeuvre before landing. [ 2 ]
- The West Interregional Investigative Directorate for Transport of the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under an article on services not meeting safety requirements that led to death by negligence, Vedomosti reported. [ 2 ]
- Sergienko was 57 and had made about 3,000 jumps, according to Vedomosti. [ 2 ]
- Vedomosti reported he was part of a 22-person team that set a world record in 2019 by building four figures in the air, and of a team that set another world record in 2024. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether Sergienko died at the site of the jump or in hospital. TASS says he crashed to his death after the jump, while Vedomosti says he was taken to hospital and died there; the documents do not resolve the sequence.
- The exact cause of the accident and whether equipment, organisation or the athlete's manoeuvre was responsible. Vedomosti reports a federation official saying he failed to handle a manoeuvre, while the criminal case concerns services not meeting safety requirements; no conclusion is given.
- Sergienko's age, number of jumps and record-setting teams. These details appear only in one document, Vedomosti.
- The status of the criminal case and any suspects. Only the opening of the case is reported, with no further detail.
- The Russian Investigative Committee's West Interregional Investigative Directorate for Transport opened a criminal case over the provision of services not meeting safety requirements that led to a death, as reported by Vedomosti. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Sergei Sergienko made a parachute jump at the Krutitsy aerodrome on the 284th km of the M-5 highway in Shilovsky district, Ryazan region, lost control and struck the ground, according to Vedomosti. [ 2 ]
- TASS reported that the parachutist killed near Ryazan was record-holder Sergienko and that he died after a jump from 6,000 m. [ 1 ]
- Vedomosti reported the death, the location and date of the jump, the hospital death and the criminal case, citing TASS, federation vice-president Vadim Niyazov and the Investigative Committee. [ 2 ]