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Sky diver struck by plane dies

DeLAND - A skydiving cinematographer and an airplane collided Saturday as both descended over a Central Florida airport, officials said.

Albert "Gus" Wing III of Longwood had jumped from the DHC-6 Twin Otter propeller plane during a jump organized by Skydive DeLand, said Cmdr. Randel Henderson of the DeLand Police Department.

According to a witness on the ground, Wing had deployed his parachute when he struck the left wing of the plane at about 600 feet, Henderson said.

Both of Wing's legs were severed at the knees, but he managed to maneuver his parachute and land near the airport, Henderson said. Wing was airlifted to a hospital, where he died, Henderson said.

The plane landed safely with some damage to its left wing, Henderson said.

Fourteen other parachute jumpers were in the air at the time of the accident, said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Holly Baker.

She said the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the collision.

Police aren't sure whether Wing was filming at the time of the accident and no camera was found, DeLand police Lt. Dennis McGuire said. Wing also owned a production company, Flying Wings Production, according to Skydive DeLand's Web site.

Mike Johnston, general manager of Skydive DeLand, said the accident was not common.

"There are about 15-million jumps every year," Johnston told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. "I only know of one other case where a sky diver was struck by an airplane."

The death is the second involving Skydive DeLand this year.

Jan Kadie, 28, of the Czech Republic, died after a hard landing while parachuting with Skydive DeLand in January. Kadie was an experienced parachutist with more than 1,000 jumps.

[Last modified April 24, 2005, 01:02:20]