Sad news came from Australia. Fiona McEachern, Chair of IPC's Formation Skydiving Committee, died after a midair collision that day.

The NSL News audience is familiar with Fiona McEachern's activities for the sport, as updates of rules and relevant information have been provided by her in the last decade.

Many NSL News stories were based on information that came from Australia and directly from Fiona McEachern.

Her competitive career began early, and she won a medal for Australia at the first female 4-way event at the World Cup 1998 in Portugal.

She was also part of the NSL News coverage at the World Meet 2008 in Maubeuge where she competed for Australia in 8-way.

Then the NSL News met her recently once again at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010 where she was on her official IPC mission this time.

Fiona McEachern was competing in 4-way at the North Queensland Parachuting Championships in Tully, North Queensland, when she collided with a member of another 4-way team after break-off.

The parachutes became entangled, and the competitor of the other team was able to cut away and land safely. Fiona McEachern was still caught up in the two canopies, each partially functioning but limiting the other's ability to properly inflate.

She could not control the two parachutes and landed on a road at the Tully drop zone. There was mud on either side of where she landed, and the accident could have ended differently with better luck.

It was with great sadness that we learned that Fiona McEachern, Chair of the IPC Formation Skydiving Committee, died in a tragic accident on 25 September 2010, at Tully airfield, North Queensland, Australia.

Fiona was Chair of the IPC Formation Skydiving Committee, IPC delegate for Australia, and Director of Competitions for the Australian Parachute Federation.

She was best known for her exceptional organizational ability, and her warm and friendly personality.

She was an inspiration and mentor to many skydivers, from the novice to the highly experienced skydiver, and was held in the highest regard in parachuting circles not only in Australia, but all over the world.

She was a quiet achiever and an excellent role model for all those that knew her.

Fiona's death is an enormous loss to the sport of parachuting, her many friends, and to the FAI Family.

The FAI President, the Executive Board and all the FAI Community express their sympathies and condolences to Dr John Cusack, Fiona's husband, to their families, as well as to the Australian Air Sports community.

Fiona will be remembered in the world of Air Sports as a leading figure who achieved great things.

We have lost a great Air Sports supporter, contributor and friend.