Horror in-Air Collision Kills 'Highly-Skilled' Aussie Soldier
One other soldier was injured and did not need hospital care, while Defence has asked for privacy as details remain withheld.
- An Australian soldier died during an Army parachute training course at the Australian Defence Force's Jervis Bay Airfield, 200km east of Canberra, on Monday. Another soldier was injured but did not require hospitalization.
- The Department of Defence confirmed the soldier died during a training exercise and stated it will provide further updates when possible. Officials are reviewing the circumstances of the fatal incident.
- This death is the first in a parachute training incident since Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, son of former federal minister Joel Fitzgibbon, died at RAAF Base Richmond in March 2024.
- Previous training-related fatalities include two soldiers killed in a truck rollover near Townsville in August 2021 and a service member who died in an M113 armoured personnel carrier accident in October 2025.
- The Department issued a statement on Tuesday requesting that "we request that the privacy of Defence members and families is respected," while confirming it will provide further updates when possible.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Australian paratrooper dies during training accident
A 50-year-old Special Forces soldier has died in what the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has described as a mid-air collision between two experienced paratroopers. The incident happened during training at the Jervis Bay Airfield on the New South Wales south coast. It's the second parachute-related death in two years with the ADF ordering a pause on all parachuting operations nationwide.
Newcastle Herald
'An Australian hero': Fitzgibbon's tribute to paratrooper after fatal jump
Warrant Officer Lachlan Muddle, 50, killed in a Jervis Bay training collision. Find out why ADF parachute operations have been paused nationwide.
Army Paratrooper Killed During Training Accident
A well-trained Australian Army soldier has died during a parachuting exercise at Jervis Bay Airfield on the New South Wales South Coast. Warrant Officer Second Class Lachlan Muddle, 50, from the Special Air Service Regiment, was killed after a mid-air collision with another paratrooper on May 11. The Defence Department confirmed the incident occurred during a training course, with another soldier injured but not requiring hospitalisation. “We re…
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