A PARACHUTIST who had made about 3,500 jumps might have been distracted when he began a radical left turn only 50ft from the ground.

Peter Lambson (54), of Durrington, a former chief instructor at the Joint Services Parachute Centre, Netheravon, died instantly following a four-man jump at the centre on March 30.

At an inquest into his death in Salisbury on Tuesday, Wiltshire coroner David Masters heard that Mr Lambson and his colleagues made the drop at 13,000ft, and at first it proceeded without incident, all four parachutes opening at between 3,000ft and 4,000ft.

Royal Marine Jason McNaught was the first to land. "I heard a flutter and I saw a parachute going down behind me," he said.

"I turned round and Pete was pulling the left side to turn, and then he hit the floor.

"He had been within 50ft of the ground, and that is too close to the ground to be doing that manoeuvre I turned at about 150ft.

"There was not sufficient time for the wind to go into the canopy and slow it down."

Mr Masters, recording a verdict of misadventure, said witnesses "could not understand how this happened".

"Was he distracted and did not realise how close he was to the ground?" asked Mr Masters.

"He will clearly be missed by his family and by all those who have known him and benefited from his instruction and example."