AN armed forces parachuting instructor died during a training jump when their parachute failed to open, reports claim.

       The accident happened on Friday at RAF Weston-on-the-Green, Oxfordshire, which is often used as a jump zone for RAF Brize Norton.

       2

       RAF Weston-on-the-Green, Oxfordshire Credit: ukairfieldguide 2

       The incident is being investigated, an RAF spokesperson said Credit: ukairfieldguide

       According to unconfirmed reports, the woman, believed to be in her 30s, had jumped alongside tandem jumpers - a novice parachutist attached to an instructor.

       Sources believe there may have been problem with her Automatic Activation Device (AA) which is meant to ensure a parachute opens once a jumper reaches a certain altitude.

       The RAF confirmed a probe has been launched into the tragic death.

       In will include an examination of the instructor’s equipment, and interviews with those who jumped with her.

       There may also have been a camera recording their descent, so any footage recovered from the scene will be studied.

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       The incident is understood to have occurred during an adventurous training assignment rather than a military exercise, and the jumpers had plunged from a light aircraft that was above 12,000ft.

       A source told the Daily Mail: "Sometimes jumpers rely on an AAD to inform them when they have reached a pre-selected altitude to deploy their parachute.

       "The investigation will seek to confirm whether or not the AAD was effective in the circumstance."

       The airfield is used by the RAF's No 1 Parachute Training School and helps train parachutists from the army, air force and Royal Navy.

       An RAF spokesperson said: "We can confirm that a Service Person has died at RAF Weston on the Green.

       "Our thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues at this time.

       "The incident is being investigated and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage."