American Canyon Man Dies In Byron Airport Skydiving Accident

BYRON (CBS SF) -- A man who was killed in a skydiving accident at Byron Airport in unincorporated Contra Costa County on Saturday has been identified as 43-year-old Donald Brown of American Canyon.

Authorities responded about 7:40 p.m. to the airport, where Brown had been out with a parachuting club, Contra Costa County sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said.

As Brown was descending, his parachute opened but witnesses said it looked like he was going to miss his landing target. He attempted a maneuver that would have redirected him to his target, but did not have sufficient altitude to complete the maneuver and hit the ground at a high rate of speed, according to Lee.

Contra Costa County sheriff's deputies were called to the scene, as well as fire and paramedic crews. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene, Lee said.

The case had been classified as a non-criminal death, and police were not investigating further, Lee said.

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