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The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the death of a skydiving instructor following he got detached from his student during a dive in Nashville, Tennessee.

Authorities say instructor Justin Fuller "appears to have fallen from the air without a parachute" during the dive on the weekend.

The instructor, 35, seems to have separated from his student and a tandem rig, which connects the pair during a jump and includes the parachute.

A police helicopter located Fuller's body in a wooded area hours later. Local emergency crews used multiple pieces of equipment to access the 46-year old client who lived through the descent after being trapped on a tree for hours with the emergency parachute.

Officials said several additional jumps, which occurred near Nashville's John C Tune airport, were carried out without incident prior to the deadly incident. The plane from which they leaped also touched down without issue.

It is unclear how Mr Fuller, an seasoned parachutist, got detached from the protective gear.

A individual who assisted rescue teams in the rescue informed a media outlet the client who authorities rescued said "it was his first jump, and it was going to be his final one".

Mr Fuller had recently written about his passion for teaching others how to skydive.

"Instructing individuals to skydive has always been in my view the most rewarding job at the drop zone," Mr Fuller wrote in an Instagram post in June.

"Observing students learn the skills and begin maneuvering their bodies is always a touching moment. Sometimes though, it can get a little hectic up there when you let someone go 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 failed after departure. All 20 people onboard lived through the incident.