Nicholas Piantanida (August 15, 1932 - August 29, 1966) was a New Jersey truck driver who died after his third attempt to set a record for high-altitude parachute jumping. On May 5, 1966,[1] during his ascent for a planned super-sonic free fall from over 120,000 feet, Piantanida's face mask depressurized at about the 57,000 feet mark.[2] The lack of oxygen left him brain damaged and in a coma from which he never recovered. Piantanida died four months after the jump at the age of 34.[3]
Piantanida was listed in Guinness World Records for approximately 11 years, until it was determined that an exact measurement of his free-fall attempt was not possible.