AN airman who fell to his death at the weekend in a parachute accident was jumping for the first time in his native North-East.

Andrew Wilson's fatal fall was watched from the ground by staff at Peterlee Parachute Centre, County Durham.

Witnesses said that the 25-year-old's parachute opened as normal shortly after he and nine other experienced parachutists left the plane, which was flying near Shotton Airfield, on Saturday.

Ian Rosenvinge, who owns the Parachute Centre, said that Mr Wilson, who is stationed at RAF Leeming, seemed to be handling the descent well before he disappeared from sight.

He said: "His descent was normal but we couldn't see him for the last 100 to 200ft because he went out of sight. What happened after that I can only speculate.''

Mr Wilson, who was from Manor Road, St Helen Auckland, near Bishop Auckland, was an experienced parachutist who had made more than 100 jumps.

It is believed he was on leave and wanted to jump from a local parachute centre.

Mr Rosenvinge said: "It was his first jump in the UK. He had a look around the centre in March and was going to jump then but the weather wasn't good so he came back at the weekend.

"He was a very experienced parachutist who knew what he was doing, otherwise we would not have let him jump.''

Mr Rosenvinge said that his staff set out to collect Mr Wilson, who had chosen to land in a field almost a mile away from the airfield, expecting him to be fit and well. He added: "I have been here seven years and this is our first fatality.

"My immediate thoughts and those of the staff at the centre are with his family."

Mr Wilson's parents and sister, of St Helen Auckland, were too upset to talk about the tragedy last night but his mother, Christine, said she was very proud of her son.

Police have confirmed that there are no suspicious circumstances.

They have passed on their findings to the British Parachuting Association and the Health and Safety Executive which will be investigating.