The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a skydiving accident in Riverside County in which an instructor and her student died after a “dust devil” allegedly sent them crashing to the ground.
Instructor Devrey LaRiccia and her student, Kayla Black, had no problems when they performed their tandem jump on Aug. 2, according to eyewitnesses who saw them perform a normal skydive.
LaRiccia and Black, both 28, were attached to the parachute when it deployed without problems, but as they neared the ground, the pair encountered a “dust devil” that caused turbulence and sent them into a “hard landing,” according to Skydive Perris management.
Devrey LaRiccia, a skydiving instructor at Skydive Perris, was performing a tandem jump with a student when the accident occurred.
(Freddy chase)
Freddy Chase, LaRiccia's husband, told KTLA-TV that the tandem skydivers were about 25 to 30 feet off the ground when they encountered the weather phenomenon and entered a downward spiral.
According to the National Weather Service, a “dust devil” is a swirl of warm air and dirt or debris that looks like a smaller, less intense version of a tornado. They typically last only a few minutes and reach an average height of 500 to 1,000 feet.
Dust devils are typically brief and unpredictable, but they are common in the summer because of warm air rising from the ground, said National Weather Service meteorologist David Munyan. An extreme heat warning was in effect for parts of Riverside County on the day of the crash, but dust devils can form in all types of conditions, Munyan said.
“Every day is a good day to have a shape,” Munyan said. “One can emerge from a clear blue sky.”
The FAA will investigate the packaging of the main and reserve parachutes used in the jump, along with “the flight rules for the pilot and the aircraft,” the agency said in a statement. If no regulatory violations are found, the FAA will refer any further investigation to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
The women were found in an open field near the airport in the 2000 block of Goetz Road in Perris shortly after 2:30 p.m., according to sheriff's officials.
The couple was rushed to the hospital, where they died from their injuries. LaRiccia died less than an hour after the crash and Black died Sunday, according to authorities.
Skydive Perris said it is cooperating with authorities and the Riverside County Sheriff's Office said there was no evidence of foul play.
LaRiccia, who worked as an instructor for Skydive Perris, often shared videos of herself skydiving on her Instagram. Chase paid tribute to his wife in a recent post.
Devrey LaRiccia and Freddy Chase are shown in an undated photo. Devrey LaRiccia, a skydiving instructor for Skydive Perris, died on August 2, 2024 during a skydiving accident.
(Freddy chase)
“I loved you so much, sweetheart, that everyone who ever talked to you or saw you knew you were someone special,” Chase said. “You loved skydiving, going on trips, spending time with friends and family, whatever you wanted to be in people’s lives, and you never complained.”
Skydive Perris said LaRiccia “lived life to the fullest and inspired all of his colleagues.”
“She was passionate about introducing others to the sport of skydiving. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of both Devrey and the student,” the company said in a statement.
His family is in the process of sending his body back to his hometown in Maine and have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for those expenses.
Black's father, Bill Black, told KTLA-TV that his daughter recently purchased an RV and wanted to travel after refurbishing it.
“I know it’s not glamorous, but that was his dream,” Black told the news station. “He loved to go on adventures and try different activities, like skydiving.”
His family has started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for funeral expenses and any additional funds will be donated to charities in Black's name.
“Her contagious smile and boundless enthusiasm for life brought joy to her family, friends and everyone who knew her,” the family said in the GoFundMe campaign.
