MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — A member of the Middletown-based professional skydiving team Team Fastrax crashed into a stadium scoreboard Saturday, April 18 before Virginia Tech’s spring football game, delaying the start of the event.
The skydiver, identified by The Roanoke Times as Pasha Palanker, struck the top of the video board overlooking the north end zone at Lane Stadium at about 3 p.m. Saturday, April 18. Palanker remained suspended for about 25 minutes before he was rescued by members of the Blacksburg Volunteer Fire Department.
Virginia Tech officials said in a post on X at 3:55 p.m. Saturday that the skydiver was “safely secured and is currently stable.”
“Our primary focus remains on their well-being,” the university said. “We extend our sincere appreciation to the first responders, event staff and medical personnel for their swift, coordinated and professional response.”
In a later post, Virginia Tech said first responders were able to return the parachuter to the ground without injury.
Palanker is a retired U.S. Army veteran and is in his fifth or sixth season with Team Fastrax, according to The Roanoke Times. He was one of three skydivers involved in the pregame performance. The first two landed without incident.
Established in 2002, Team Fastrax has more than 40 active members, many of whom are military veterans, according to the team’s website. The professional skydiving team trains nationwide but calls Start Skydiving in Middletown its home base. According to Fastrax’s website, Palanker has completed more than 700 jumps.
Photos of Palanker from the incident show his parachute bearing the name “Selection.com,” a Cincinnati-based hiring company founded by John Hart II. Hart II also founded Start Skydiving and Team Fastrax, which is named after one of Selection.com’s products, according to its website.
Hart did not immediately respond to two messages seeking comment.
Many photos on Team Fastrax’s website show skydivers using identical Selection.com-sponsored parachutes. The Roanoke Times also identified all three skydivers involved Saturday as members of the Ohio-based team.
Team Fastrax ground safety specialist Sam Deeds told The Roanoke Times that the crash was the first incident of its kind for the team.
According to Start Skydiving’s website, Team Fastrax has performed thousands of jumps across the United States and internationally in Russia, Qatar, China and France. The team has jumped at events including balloon festivals, racing venues, golf courses, tennis courts and high school, college and professional sporting events.
The incident delayed the start of Virginia Tech’s spring game, according to the Associated Press.
The Journal-News is a media partner of WCPO.com.
