Army jump school training suspended after fatal accident

<p>An Army basic Airborne student was killed Tuesday in an accident at a Fort Benning drop zone in Alabama, leading to a suspension of parachute training.</p><p>The death was the first Airborne school accident in 15 years, a post spokesman said.</p><p>The soldier, who died at the Fryar Drop Zone in Russell County, Ala., was not identified pending notification of relatives, Fort Benning spokesman Rich McDowell said.</p><p>Since the last training accident, an estimated 200,000 students from all branches of military service have performed more than 1 million jumps without any fatal accidents, McDowell said. About 17,000 students are expected to go through the Airborne school this fiscal year, he said.</p><p>The student who died was enrolled in a three-week course on basic military parachuting. This week, the class of 310 was to complete five jumps before graduating Friday, McDowell said.</p><p>Spc. Brian B. Williams was killed in a parachute training accident in 1990, falling from 1,250 feet after jumping from a C-141 aircraft over the Fryar Drop Zone. Fifteen days later, another student died while making a training jump.</p>

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