The mother of the woman pilot who tried to stop an ex-SAS officer apparently jumping to his death from a plane over Fifield, near Burford, today spoke of her daughter's terror.

Margaret Haig said she was proud of how pilot Judith handled what must have been a terrifying ordeal.

Expert skydiver Charles "Nish" Bruce, 45, died after apparently jumping 5,000ft without a parachute from the twin-seater Cessna 172 into fields at Fifield on Tuesday afternoon.

An inquest was due to open in Oxford today.

Judith Haig, 39, of Cobham, Kent, was flying the plane back Spain to Northamptonshire when the incident happened.

The pair were good friends and Judith had been in Spain for a number of weeks.

Mrs Haig, also of Cobham, said: "She (Judith) is very deeply shocked and upset by this.

"I don't know exactly what happened but it must have been a terrifying experience. We're so proud of the way she coped and handled the plane.

"When I heard, I was just shocked and horrified. It's very tragic.

"Judith is very distraught and upset and is being looked after by family and close friends."

Miss Haig told investigators that Mr Bruce "opened the door and jumped out", a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Agency said.

It is understood the plane's windows had also begun to ice up and Miss Haig had to divert the aircraft to RAF Brize Norton and land it.