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Federal aviation authorities is investigating the fatality of a skydiving instructor after he got detached from his student during a jump in Nashville, Tennessee.

Police say trainer Justin Fuller "appears to have fallen from the sky without a parachute" during the jump on the weekend.

Fuller, 35, appeared to have detached from his client and a tandem rig, which links the two during a jump and contains the safety gear.

A police helicopter found the instructor's remains in a forested zone hours later. The Nashville Fire Department used multiple pieces of equipment to reach the 46-year old client who survived the descent after being stuck on a tree branch for hours with the emergency parachute.

Police stated several additional jumps, which occurred near Nashville's John C Tune airport, were successfully completed prior to the deadly incident. The plane from which they jumped also landed safely.

It is unclear how Mr Fuller, an experienced skydiver, got detached from the safety equipment.

A man who helped fire crews in the operation informed a media outlet the client who officials rescued mentioned "it was his first jump, and it was going to be his last".

The instructor had previously posted about his enthusiasm for teaching others how to parachute.

"Instructing individuals to parachute has consistently been in my view the most satisfying role at the jump site," the instructor wrote in an Instagram post in the summer.

"Watching them figure it out and begin maneuvering their bodies is always a heartwarming moment. Sometimes though, it can get a little hectic up there when you release a student for their initial attempt."

During that period he posted photos of the damage a skydiving plane he was on saying the plane's engine had malfunctioned after departure. All 20 people onboard lived through the incident.