Family Talks About Local Father’s Fatal Skydive

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — A local family has released a statement after 59-year-old Harry T. Short of Reynoldsburg was killed in a skydiving accident last weekend.

NBC 4 reported with the FAST FACTS and the family’s statement.

Short died Saturday afternoon after his main parachute did not deploy and the second opened too close to the ground.

The accident occurred in Greenfield Township just north of the Fairfield County Airport at about 3 p.m. 

Short jumped from a single-engine Cessna airplane at an approximate altitude of 10,000 feet, according to the Lancaster post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Short was jumping in a group of three people.

Short tracked away from the group, and his main parachute never deployed. Short’s reserve parachute deployed, but it was at too low of an altitude to be successful, according to OSP.

The landing happened approximately one mile northeast of the Fairfield County Airport. 

Short died from his injuries at the scene, OSP said.

The FAA was investigating the accident, but officials said Saturday they did not know why the parachute failed to open.

FAMILY STATEMENT

Because of the continuous inquiries into the death of my father, Harry T. Short, we as a family have decided to release a statement along with what we know so that our mother may grieve in private. 

Dad was a C license skydiver with 10 years experience, and according to his jump log, Saturday would have been his 443rd jump. 

He only needed 57 more jumps to receive his USPA D license/master. He was also a safety instructor. He was extremely safety conscious, and this accident is a shock to all of us.

According to other divers, both in the air and on the ground, my father had a clean break from the formation and seemed fine up until that point. 

I was told that he then appeared unconscious in the air and made no attempts at pulling his main chute. 

His reserve chute (designed to self deploy at a certain altitude if the operator does not do so beforehand) discharged but had only just opened before he struck the ground.

My mother was immediately notified by the ground crew as they arrived to the accident sight just north of the Fairfield County Airport, knowing he was already gone. 

The FAA, Ohio State Patrol and Licking County coroner were called to the scene. 

We have not been told or notified of any further investigation on the FAA’s part. They have never notified us and do not have his gear in their possession.

The autopsy was performed Monday morning, and the preliminary findings were inconclusive other than the obvious injuries from striking the ground.

We do not know what made him go unconscious. His only complaint that morning was back pain of unknown cause.

The final report will not be available for 30 days.

Dad’s immediate family consists of his wife, four children and their spouses, and 12 grandchildren.

He is survived by both of his parents and their spouses, a sister, a nephew, and many cousins, uncles, and aunts. 

He joined the Marine Corps. immediately out of high school (He attended Columbus South.) in 1967 and miraculously was never called into combat. 

He was an avid motorcyclist, building his own custom Harley from the ground up.

He had many other hobbies including gun collecting and supporting the NRA.  He was also a diehard Buckeye fan. 

He was admired and loved by all of his children and grandchildren.

The family released the statement Monday night and asked the media to respect their wishes of no further contact and to leave any further investigation to public record.

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