Small prop plane crashes during rehearsals for New York air show

RT
Fri, 28 Aug 2015 22:37 UTC

© Breaking News Network / YouTube

A small prop airplane lost its tail and crashed during the rehearsals for the New York Air Show on Friday, killing the pilot.

The aircraft in question appears to be a 1998 Giles G-202, with the registration N18FJ, according to one witness, photographer and air enthusiast Benjamin Granucci.

Granucci identified the pilot that crashed as Andrew Wright. Orange County's Department of Emergency Services confirmed the pilot was killed.

What I saw was the aircraft come in for a dive. As it pulled up, it suddenly crossed the crowd line and spun towards the ground," Granucci tweeted. "We heard a thud but saw no smoke or flames."

Photos captured by Granucci right before the crash show the airplane's tail shearing off.

Images of NY Air Show crash by NYCA's @BLGranucci can be seen at... http://t.co/LsdGwBGRpr (photo use with permission from NYCAviation ONLY)

— NYCAviation (@NYCAviation) August 28, 2015

The New York Air Show was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, August 29-30, at the Stewart International Airport.

County officials told reporters that, while rehearsals for the day have been canceled, the air show is still planned to carry on as scheduled.

Comment: This is the third plane crash connected with air shows this week:

• Two planes collide during Swiss airshow, at least 1 killed
• Seven dead as fighter plane crashes at Shoreham Airshow in West Sussex, UK