City man named in Oz air tragedy

Jan 4 2006 By James Cartledge, Birmingham Mail

A BIRMINGHAM parachutist killed when his plane crashed in Australia was today remembered as a "keen and popular" skydiver.

Colin Hicklin died with four others when their Cessna 206 craft careered into a dam shortly after taking off from an airport near Brisbane on Monday.

The 41-year-old was a civilian member of the Wiltshire-based Army Parachute Association and was also involved with a formation skydiving team. He was working for the Brisbane Skydiving Centre as an instructor when he was killed.

Association secretary Robin Durie said Mr Hicklin's death had stunned the group's 1,000 members.

"Colin was very keen and very happy to impart his knowledge to others," Mr Durie said. "He was always around and about helping other instructors. He was a very good club member and an active participant. He was well-liked by everybody."

Walsall-born Mr Hicklin, who was not believed to have been married, used to work for car fleet lease firm CFC Solutions, based at Birmingham Business Park at Solihull Parkway.

Former CFC colleague Elizabeth Pinson described him as the "nicest, most genuine guy you could wish to meet". Mr Hicklin died with the Cessna's pilot, 22-year-old Anthony Winter, from Brisbane, and fellow instructor Nigel O'Gorman, 34, from Ireland.

A second Briton, 49-year-old Susanne Williams, and Barbara Frederique McLelland, 40, from Nerang on Queensland's Gold Coast, were also killed.

Brisbane Skydiving Centre boss, 57-year-old Brian Scoffell, and Mandy Best, 27, survived the crash and were recovering at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The plane's engine was suspected of causing the crash, which happened soon after take off from Ipswich, 45 miles west of Brisbane.

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