A woman has died following a ‘skydiving incident’ at an airfield in Nottinghamshire. 

Emergency services were called to Langar Airfield in Nottingham at 12.13pm on Sunday, where a 22-year-old woman was found in a nearby cornfield, nearby residents said. 

The woman, who has not yet been named, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Nottinghamshire Police confirmed there were no other injuries. 

One man who arrived at Langar Airfield with three workmates yesterday to take part in a charity skydive, said: ‘We got there at quarter to 12, about half an hour before we were booked in.

‘Soon after, all the emergency services arrived – there were two ambulances and loads of police.

‘We were called over by representatives of the airfield at 12.15pm and told that there had been an incident but they didn’t give any further details.

‘We were told there wouldn’t be any jumps for the rest of the day and that we’d be rescheduled.

‘I found out what had happened in the evening when I saw the release from the police. It’s really sad.

‘Hearing what happened makes you nervous but I understand the woman was a solo diver who wasn’t anything to do with our group – and we’re diving in tandems. We’ve been given a new date later in the month.’

Local residents said many dives had been completed during Sunday morning before the tragedy occurred shortly after midday.

Inga, 39, a farm worker who lives opposite the scene of the crash, said: ‘We hear the excited screams of people jumping out of planes every day.

‘Yesterday was no different until we suddenly heard the sound of sirens and a helicopter which was in the air for some time.’

A local farmer, who did not want to be named, said the tragic skydiver landed in a field of two foot high corn, on the other side of Harby Road from Langar Airfield.

The crash site is next to the small, members -only Langar Camp Site where the owners refused to make any comment today.

One camper, who did not want to be named, said, ‘We are here to do a sky dive but the timing couldn’t be worse. Everyone is in a state of shock.’ 

Mark Watler, who farms some of the land adjacent to the Airfield, said: ‘At first we saw the emergency vehicles and assumed someone had rolled their ankle. Normally it’s nothing serious.

‘Safety is second to none at that place. We work alongside them as local farmers and tell them if we have tractors out in any of the fields.’

Mr Watler added: ‘Occasionally we find a stray chute in the field that has got tangled and not unfurled properly but that’s why there’s an emergency chute.’

The Airfield is on the border of Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire and close to Melton Mowbray and the Vale of Belvoir.

Skydive Langar opened on the site in 1977, and 49 years later is now the busiest civilian skydiving centre in the UK.  It facilitates more than 50,000 jumps annually from its fleet of six light aircraft.

Nottinghamshire Police said the woman’s family has been informed of her death and specially trained officers are on duty to offer support. A file will also now be prepared for the coroner. 

Several crime scene investigation cars, including two vans, were spotted near the airfield on a path off Harby Road on Sunday afternoon.

Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, who also attended the scene, said it was called to an incident at Langar Airfield at 12.30pm to ‘assist police’. 

Detective Inspector Rachel Mayfield, of Nottinghamshire Police, described the woman’s death as a ‘tragic incident’.

She said: ‘This was a tragic incident, and we are working with partners to understand what happened.

‘As our investigations continue at the scene, our thoughts are with the woman’s family and everyone else who has been affected by this incident.’

Langar Airfield is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station near the village of Langar in Nottingham first opened in 1942. 

Skydive Langar confirmed a fatal incident involved an ‘experienced skydiver’. 

In a statement released on its social media pages, the firm said it was ‘devastated by this tragic loss’.  It added: ‘Our immediate thoughts, deepest condolences and full support are with the skydiver’s family, friends and everyone within our close-knit community who has been affected at this incredibly difficult time.

‘We are working in full cooperation with the Police and all relevant authorities to support this process.’

British Skydiving said a Board of Inquiry ‘will now be convened to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident’.

It added: ‘Once completed, a full report will be submitted to the Coroner, the Police, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the British Skydiving Safety & Training Committee (STC), and any other relevant authorities.

‘The report will include the Board’s conclusions and any recommendations, where appropriate.

‘Our thoughts are with the family, friends, the team at Skydive Langar and all those affected at this difficult time.’

In February, a skydiver died after his parachute failed to deploy for ‘some unknown reason’ at Dunkeswell Aerodrome near Honiton, Devon.

Opening an inquest into Charles McNeil’s death the following month, coroner Deborah Archer said the 49-year-old, from Poole, Dorset, died while doing a wingsuit jump with a friend when ‘for some unknown reason the parachute did not deploy and sadly he plummeted to the ground’.

McNeil’s death was the third at the airfield in eight months.  Mother-of-four Belinda Taylor, 48, and instructor Adam Harrison, 30, died in June 2025 when their parachutes failed to open during a tandem jump.

Inquests into their deaths were previously also opened at Devon Coroner’s Court and then adjourned for further investigations to take place.

Nottinghamshire Police has asked anyone with additional information about what happened at Langar Airfield to call 101 quoting incident 306 of 5 July 2026.