Parachute Likely Opened Only Partially: 35-Year-Old Man Crashes to His Death

A tragedy unfolded on the afternoon of Sunday, November 8, in Vercelli, where a 35-year-old man died after a parachute jump. The victim was Vincenzo Criscuolo, born in Naples and a resident of Milan. The accident occurred on farmland behind the city’s prison.

According to initial reports from the fire department and local police, the 35-year-old’s parachute may not have fully opened, preventing him from slowing his descent. The man fell into a field about one kilometer away, as the crow flies, from the Vzone skydiving school, located near the Carlo Del Prete Airport.

The exact circumstances of the incident remain to be determined. Investigators will need to determine whether the tragedy was caused by a technical problem during the parachute’s deployment or by the man suddenly feeling ill during the jump. Earlier that afternoon, Criscuolo, a member of the Vercelli skydiving association, had boarded a Pilatus Porter—a turboprop aircraft used for skydiving—along with some friends. The plan was to jump from an altitude of about 4,000 meters. However, something went wrong during the descent, which ended tragically in the field on Via Canton Biliemme.

The Vercelli District Attorney’s Office, led by District Attorney Ilaria Calò, has launched an investigation into the incident to accurately reconstruct what happened and determine the cause of death. At this time, the case has been opened without any suspicion of a crime and without anyone listed as a suspect. Following the accident, the skydiving school ordered the immediate suspension of all activities and scheduled flights.