Call for Army to learn lessons of officer’s death

Mar 11 2008 Western Mail

THE mother of an SAS soldier killed when his parachute failed to open in training called yesterday for lessons to be learned from his death.

Captain Daniel Wright, 25, from Newport, Gwent, died at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire after plummeting 2,500ft on November 17, 2005. It was his first day training with the special forces.

His mother, Carol Wright, 60, a health visitor, said, “Issues of training and funding need to be put in the public domain by this inquest. Lessons must be learned and acted upon. We hear this so often from the families of those who have died.

“We cannot bring Dan back but we do hope that his death can make it less likely that the same thing will happen to someone else.”

Speaking outside her son’s inquest in Oxford yesterday, Mrs Wright added, “We are very proud of Dan. He was a bright boy, a great athlete, funny too and just great to have around the house.”

She said her son, who studied physics at Nottingham University, joined the Army because he “could not bear the thought of mundane nine-to-five life.”

Although “horrified” when he first spoke of his intention to join the Army, she was delighted following his selection to train for the Special Forces “because it was clearly something he absolutely loved”.

Capt Wright, of the Queen’s Gurkha Signal Corps, was seen raising his hands and trying to control the chute by using the steering lines after it opened partially.

He eventually managed to open his reserve chute but it was too late to save him.

An MoD board of inquiry could not determine why the main parachute got stuck in its backpack or why Capt Wright had not opened his reserve as soon as he encountered difficulty.

The board recommended improved emergency training and said trainees should be equipped with a bleeping warning device.

Legal argument, heard in private, took place all day to decide what evidence, some of which is sensitive, can be disclosed.

Andrew Walker, assistant deputy coroner for Oxfordshire, said he would begin hearing evidence in public at 9.30am today.