Pilot dies in stunt crash ahead of NY air show

Police says it appears that the aircraft had experienced a structural failure


Afp August 29, 2015
File photo of a plane crash. PHOTO: AFP

NEW YORK: An aerobatic pilot crashed and died in upstate New York on Friday while practising stunts in a propeller plane ahead of a weekend air show, police said.

The accident happened at about 2:00 pm (1800 GMT) at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor in the scenic Hudson Valley, on the eve of the New York Air Show.

Read: Pilot fights for life after 7 killed in UK airshow crash

"It appeared the aircraft had experienced a structural failure," a New York State Police spokesperson told AFP.

The show, scheduled Saturday and Sunday at Stewart, is to feature demonstrations from civilian and military performers, including by Navy SEAL Leap Frogs, a parachute team.

The crash comes a week after up to 11 people were killed when a vintage military plane crashed onto a busy road in Britain near the Shoreham air show on the south coast of England.

Read: Seven killed in British airshow crash as jet hits road

The historic Hawker Hunter military jet had failed to pull up out of a loop at the Shoreham Airshow on the southeast English coast on Saturday, and hit several cars, creating a fireball that sent thick, black smoke billowing into the sky.

COMMENTS (1)

anynomus | 9 years ago | Reply Stupid ET reporting , wy wud ET place a crashed JFT pic on some other irrelevant news ...only for fake rating i guess
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