# Felix Falls (DD-637)

> Felix Baumgartner was an Austrian skydiver and BASE jumper. On October 14, 2012, in the Red Bull Stratos project, he rode a pressurized capsule under a helium balloon from Roswell, New Mexico, and stepped off at 38,969.4 m (127,852 ft). Red Bull's final mission data say he went supersonic 34 seconds into the fall and reached 1,357.6 km/h (843.6 mph), Mach 1.25, at 50 seconds. He became the first person to break the speed of sound in freefall without a vehicle. He was in freefall for 4 minutes 20 seconds, and the whole descent from jump to landing took 9 minutes 18 seconds. The FAI, air sports' world governing body, ratified three world records from the jump: exit altitude, maximum vertical speed and freefall distance (36,402.6 m). It now lists the exit-altitude record as superseded, while the speed and freefall-distance records still stand. Baumgartner died on July 17, 2025, aged 56, when he lost control of a motorized paraglider over Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy, and crashed at a resort. The investigating prosecutor later said the crash was caused by human error and found no technical fault with the equipment. This Reel was posted about four weeks after his death and doesn't mention it.

- Department: People (also History)
- First published: 2025-08-15
- Last updated: 2025-08-15
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/felix-falls/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## Status as of Oct. 18, 2026

Died July 17, 2025, aged 56, after losing control of a motorized paraglider over Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy, according to Reuters and the BBC. The investigating prosecutor later said the crash was caused by human error, with no technical fault found (AP). The FAI lists his 2012 speed and freefall-distance records as current.
Out of date in the Reel: The Reel (posted Aug. 15, 2025) presents Baumgartner without noting his death on July 17, 2025.

## On the timeline

- **Oct. 14, 2012**: Baumgartner jumps from 38,969.4 m, from a balloon capsule launched at Roswell, New Mexico
- **July 17, 2025**: Baumgartner dies in a motorized paragliding crash at Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=felix-falls

## Quick facts

- **DD-637-F01**: Baumgartner jumped from 38,969.4 m on October 14, 2012. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (The jump))_
- **DD-637-F02**: He reached 1,357.6 km/h, Mach 1.25, in freefall. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Supersonic))_

## Write-up

Faster than sound, with no engine. Felix Baumgartner's 2012 jump from 38,969 m.

1. **The jump**: On October 14, 2012, Baumgartner stepped off a balloon capsule above Roswell, New Mexico, at 38,969.4 m.
2. **Supersonic**: He went supersonic 34 seconds into the fall and peaked at 1,357.6 km/h (Mach 1.25).
3. **The clock**: Freefall lasted 4 minutes 20 seconds, and the whole descent took 9 minutes 18 seconds.
4. **The records**: The FAI ratified three records. The exit-altitude record has since been superseded, but speed and freefall distance still stand.
5. **His death**: Baumgartner died on July 17, 2025, aged 56, in a motorized paragliding crash in Italy, which a prosecutor later attributed to human error.

## Related case files

- [Kenny POWERs (DD-740)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/kenny-powers/): Another Persons of Interest daredevil
- [Rick Charls (DD-742)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/rick-charls/): Another record-setting fall
- [Spacewalker (DD-652)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/spacewalker/): Another person flying free of any vehicle, high above Earth

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: 'About four and a half minutes in free fall': Red Bull's final data give 4 minutes 20 seconds of freefall (and 9 minutes 18 seconds for the whole descent).
- **Missing date and place**: the jump was on October 14, 2012, from a capsule launched at Roswell, New Mexico.
- **Records**: the FAI ratified records for exit altitude (38,969.4 m), speed (1,357.6 km/h) and freefall distance (36,402.6 m). The altitude record has since been superseded, and the other two still stand.
- **Speed precision**: the peak was 1,357.6 km/h (843.6 mph), Mach 1.25, reached 50 seconds into the fall. He went supersonic at 34 seconds.
- **Out of date when posted**: Baumgartner died on July 17, 2025, about four weeks before this Reel was posted, in a motorized paragliding crash in Italy.

## Video: Felix Falls: Faster Than Sound, With No Engine

- Duration: 29.1 s · Published: 2025-08-15
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DNZBW8BSsLH.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? In 2012, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner made a record-breaking jump from the stratosphere, leaping from a helium balloon at about 39 km, or 24 mi. above Earth. Wearing a pressurized suit to survive near vacuum conditions and extreme temperatures, he reached free fall speeds of 1,357 kph, or 843 mph, breaking the sound barrier without mechanical propulsion. His descent lasted just over nine minutes with about four and a half minutes in free fall. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: When did Baumgartner make his stratosphere jump?**  
A: October 14, 2012. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The jump) · FAI: Baumgartner's records ratified by FAI; Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data)_

**Q: Where did the Red Bull Stratos balloon launch from?**  
A: Roswell, New Mexico. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (The jump) · FAI: Baumgartner's records ratified by FAI; Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data)_

**Q: What was his top speed?**  
A: 1,357.6 km/h, or 843.6 mph. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Supersonic) · Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data)_

**Q: How long was he in freefall?**  
A: Red Bull's final data. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The clock) · Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data)_

**Q: Which of his records has since been superseded?**  
A: The FAI lists the altitude record as superseded. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (The records) · FAI: Baumgartner's records ratified by FAI; FAI records database: Felix Baumgartner)_

## Sources

- [FAI: Baumgartner's records ratified by FAI](https://www.fai.org/news/baumgartner%E2%80%99s-records-ratified-fai)
- [FAI records database: Felix Baumgartner](https://fai.org/records?record=baumgartner)
- [Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos release final mission data](https://www.redbull.com/us-en/red-bull-stratos-release-mission-data)
- [Reuters (Jul 17, 2025): Pioneering skydiver Felix Baumgartner dies while paragliding in Italy](https://www.reuters.com/en/pioneering-skydiver-felix-baumgartner-dies-while-paragliding-italy-2025-07-17/)
- [AP News (2025): Baumgartner's death in paragliding crash was due to human error](https://apnews.com/article/italy-paragliding-baumgartner-death-crash-5846a1e31a2b2385d55bd34465dfee7c)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Felix Falls." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-637, last updated Aug 15, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/felix-falls/