Pilot killed in air show crash at Travis Air Force Base
FAIRFIELD, Calif. (KGO) -- A pilot was killed in a crash and fire at a Bay Area air show Sunday afternoon. Spectators looked on in horror as the plane hit the ground and immediately burst into flames.
The pilot of the plane has been identified as Eddie Andreini, a well-known stunt pilot and owner of Eddie Andreini Air Shows out of Half Moon Bay.
Andreini has performed in nearly 1,000 air shows. In 2004 the International Council of Air Shows gave him its Sword of Excellence Award, the highest honor an air show pilot can receive. And in 2013, Andreini was inducted into the ICAS Hall of Fame.
A Travis Air Force Base spokesperson says Andreini died in the accident.
Witness video shows the thick smoke coming from the plane after the crash.
We're told it was a gray, Stearman biplane. Officials say it was on the last leg of the show, flying upside down and low to the ground, when it crashed.
"The weather conditions were similar to what you're experiencing right now," said 60th Operations Group Commander Col. David Mott. "Of course, if we look at yesterday the winds were much gustier. Stronger gusts down the runway. What I can tell you is the winds were approximately 10 to 15 knots, and that will also be a part of the investigation. I can't give you the exact details of that, as the National Transportation Safety Board will get the exact details of that. And we do have the capability to capture that information."
Witnesses say two Air Force personnel tried to rescue the pilot.
The air show shut down after the crash.
The air show last took place at the military base three years ago. The air show was officially cancelled after the crash, which is now under investigation.
Security Forces is requesting any video or photos of the accident taken by individuals at the air show to assist with the investigation.
(Bay City News contributed to this report)
