The man who died after jumping out of a biplane during an air show in Lutz on Saturday was a veteran sky diver.
According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, 62-year-old Mark Curto, of Tampa, fell from a plane doing a maneuver during the Festival of Flight at Tampa North Flight Center.
Shortly after takeoff, witnesses say they saw Curto drop from the aircraft right to the ground. Curto landed in the Grand Oaks subdivision in Wesley Chapel where he died.
At Skydive City in Zephyrhills, friend David T.K. Hayes said Curto had been jumping for at least 20 years.
"He's been a real common fixture out here every weekend," said Hayes. "He was a recreational jumper, who enjoyed jumping with friends."
Hayes said Curto always brought a smile and sense of humor.
“It's just such a tragedy to see stuff like this," said Hayes. "It's a horrible accident."
Hayes said Curto lost his wife earlier this year.
"He was just getting over recovering from that," said Hayes.
Some knew right away something was wrong, while others thought at first it might be part of the show.
"Sounds kind of insane, but wing-walkers have been wing-walking at air shows for a long, long time," said Hayes.
"The two of them jumped on the wings, and then they just took off," said witness Candy Syzmanski. "We were like oh my gosh, they're supposed to be in an airplane not hanging off an airplane...they were supposed to circle back and that's when the one fell off."
"Shocking, surreal, is what it was,” said witness Toby Fallis. “To see someone fall off a plane and have it actually be a human body and not a stunt or something fake."
Some people familiar with skydiving procedures said it appeared Curto was too low when he dropped and he wouldn't have had time to open his parachute.
The FAA is investigating the incident.
The pilot landed the plane safely at Tampa Executive Airport.