Las Cruces, New Mexico – A man killed in a small plane crash during an air show in New Mexico was an experienced pilot who had performed stunts at hundreds of air shows, authorities said Monday.
Charles Thomas “Chuck” Coleman was the only person aboard the two-seat Extra Flugzeugbau EA300 monoplane when it crashed Sunday around 2:30 p.m. during the Las Cruces Air and Space Expo at Las Cruces International Airport, city officials said.
Authorities said Coleman was performing aerobatics when the plane crashed about a half-mile west of the airport. The show was canceled after the crash.
Coleman’s website said he was based out of California and was an engineer, aerobatic pilot and test pilot with more than 10,000 hours of flight time.
He has performed at hundreds of air shows and has provided more than 3,000 aerobatic aircraft rides, according to his website.
It also said Coleman was an aerobatic instructor for actors in the 2022 film “Top Gun: Maverick,” flying more than 100 flights to prepare the actors for flight in the U.S. Navy’s F-18 Hornets.
“We would like to express our deepest condolences to the loved ones and fans of Chuck Coleman,” Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez said in a statement Monday.
New Mexico State Police, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. During the initial investigation, the airport was temporarily closed and only scheduled and emergency flights were allowed.
