The Tragic Story of Franz Reichelt and His Failed Parachute Suit Jump from the Eiffel Tower.

The Tragic Story of Franz Reichelt and His Failed Parachute Suit Jump from the Eiffel Tower Franz Reichelt, an Austrian-born French tailor, inventor, and parachuting pioneer, died while testing his parachute suit by jumping off the Eiffel Tower in 1912. Reichelt had become fixated on developing a suit for aviators that would convert into a parachute and allow them to survive a fall should they be forced to leave their aircraft in mid-air. Despite numerous efforts to dissuade him, Reichelt was adamant about taking the jump himself. The parachute failed to deploy, and he plunged 187 ft (57 m) to his death. This video tells the tragic story of Franz Reichelt and his failed parachute suit jump from the Eiffel Tower.