It Wasn't Parachute Failure | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.09.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.10.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Sun, Jul 06, 2003

It Wasn't Parachute Failure

UK Police Say It Was sabotage

Who handled Stephen Hilder's parachute just before his last, fatal jump? That question haunts police and defense investigators in the United Kingdom, as they investigate the 20-year old Defense Academy cadet's murder at an annual parachuting competition Friday.

Hilder was a veteran skydiver, with more than 200 jumps under his belt. He was also a member of the Army Parachute Association, one of the oldest skydiving clubs in the world. So, when young Hilder hit the ground at something close to terminal velocity, investigators in Shrivenham, near Swindon, Wiltshire, became suspicious.

Leading the investigation, Detective Superintendent Colin Andrews with the Humberside Police Department, described Hilder's death as "horrendous."

"The parachute equipment had been tampered with before he jumped. This is extremely unusual," he told the London Independent.

Timeline To Murder

Hilder, who was described by friends as "extremely safety-conscious," checked his rig Wednesday night. He stored it in good working condition. But police say sometime between Wednesday and Friday's fatal jump, the parachute rig was sabotaged. So far, investigators have questioned more than 70 people, according to the Independent. They still want to talk with anyone who was on the airfield at Hibaldstow near Brigg, Humberside, during that two-day period.

Hilder was described by one APA associate as "a very nice man." His family near Hereford, England, are reportedly "devastated."

FMI: www.defenceacademy.mod.uk, www.netheravon.com

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (07.12.25): Secondary Radar/Radar Beacon (ATCRBS)

Secondary Radar/Radar Beacon (ATCRBS) A radar system in which the object to be detected is fitted with cooperative equipment in the form of a radio receiver/transmitter (transponde>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.12.25)

Aero Linx: Australian Society of Air Safety Investigators (ASASI) The Australian Society of Air Safety Investigators (ASASI) was formed in 1978 after an inaugural meeting held in M>[...]

ANN FAQ: Turn On Post Notifications

Make Sure You NEVER Miss A New Story From Aero-News Network Do you ever feel like you never see posts from a certain person or page on Facebook or Instagram? Here’s how you c>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: Of the Aeropup and its Pedigree

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Barking up the Right Tree Australian-born, the Aeropup is a remarkably robust, fully-customizable, go-anywhere, two-seat, STOL/LSA aircraft. The machin>[...]

Airborne 07.07.25: Sully v Bedford, RAF Vandalism, Discovery Moving?

Also: New Amelia Search, B737 Flap Falls Off, SUN ‘n FUN Unveiling, F-16 Record Captain Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who saved 155 people by safely landing an A320 in the Hu>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC