Another fatal accident at Portimão aerodrome (October 2013)

Almost a year to the day since the untimely death of Algarve businessman Jonathon Wickham in a parachute accident at the Portimão aerodrome, a woman has died at the same location.

The victim, Ana Peixoto, was immediately assisted by rescue teams from the aerodrome and Paralvor the organiser. Attempts at resuscitation by the Fire Department of Portimão, and the emergency medical services, failed to stop her demise and she was declared dead at the airfield by medical services.

A spokesman from the District Centre for Relief Operations, Faro said the accident involved a 32-year old woman, Ana Peixoto from Setubal, who had travelled with her boyfriend. She died at around at 4pm on Sunday. She was a member of the Escola de Paraquedismo de Évora.

The aerodrome is hosting an annual gathering of skydivers, bringing together over 300 participants from various countries for a skydiving weekend in the clear skies above the Algarve.

The GNR created a security perimeter where Ana Peixoto landed on the northern runway of the airfield. The victim was described as an experienced skydiver who had already done about 70 sky dives. The organisers reviewed the video footage of the jump and commented that there seemed to be a problem with her parachute which folded up as the ground approached.

A fellow parachutist at the aerodrome at the time of Peixoto's descent, formed a different opinion as to the state of her equipment, commenting that -

"The parachute was properly opened, but seeing her legs being balanced like someone who has already lost cosncious until she hit the ground and seeing her arms didn't move at all to try to protect from the fall, I'm sure she was already unconscious. During that whole time, she never, never moved her arms at all, showing that she even didn't try to control her parachute. Only one reason - she was not conscious anymore. Furthermore, her parachute was fully open."

Whatever the reason for her crash, Peixoto hit the ground at a speed that led to fatal injuries and she was soon afterwards declared dead at the scent.

Ana Peixoto was the daughter of doctor Luís Peixoto, who held office for some years at the council in Abrantes and has served as an MP for the PCP.