During the early days of aviation, there was no way for pilots to abandon the aircraft if it encountered potentially disastrous problems mid-flight. This prompted Franz Reichelt, an Austro-Hungarian-born tailor who lived in Paris, to come up with a suit that could be converted into a parachute in case of need in the early 20th century.
Parachutes were nothing new by the time Reichelt started working on his idea. However, the designs required the parachutes to be open before use or were suitable for only high altitudes.
Reichelt passionately worked on his invention and made several prototypes of what we now consider parachute suits to be used at lower altitudes or for jumping out of a plane. However, his creations were largely unsuccessful.
Reichelt wasn’t discouraged by the failures. Instead, he believed his previous tests, which included jumps from between 26 feet and 33 feet, were hampered by short drop distances. This prompted him to make a request to Paris authorities to allow him to conduct a test from the Eiffel Tower.
In 1912, Reichelt finally received permission to conduct the test under the presumption that he would use a dummy. But convinced in the efficiency of his invention, Reichelt decided to make the jump himself from the tower’s first deck, which is 187 ft high, despite his friends trying to make him change his mind.
Unfortunately, Reichelt’s parachute suit malfunctioned and he jumped into death. An autopsy later showed that he died from a heart attack, which presumably took place before he hit the ground.