Pilot killed at New Mexico air show taught ‘Top Gun’ cast

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A man who died in the crash of a small plane at an air show in New Mexico was an accomplished pilot who had performed stunts at hundreds of air shows, authorities said Monday .

Charles Thomas “Chuck” Coleman was the only person aboard the Extra Flugzeugbau EA300 two-seat monoplane when it crashed around 2:30 p.m. Sunday during the Las Cruces Air and Space Expo at Las Cruces International Airport, reports said. city ​​officials.

Authorities said Coleman was performing aerobatics when the plane crashed about a half-mile west of the airport. The air show was canceled after the accident.

Coleman’s website said he was based in California and was an engineer, aerobatic and test pilot with more than 10,000 flight hours.

He has performed in hundreds of aviation shows and completed more than 3,000 aerobatic plane flights, according to his website.

It also said Coleman was an acrobatic flight instructor for the cast of the 2022 film “Top Gun: Maverick,” completing more than 100 flights to prepare the cast for flying in the U.S. Navy’s F-18 Hornets.

“We would like to extend 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. The airport was temporarily closed during the initial investigation, with only scheduled and emergency response flights permitted.