May 25, 2013
A stunt plane crash that killed a Delta Air Lines pilot is under investigation by two federal agencies Monday.
Chris Smisson was killed during a Saturday air show when his Russian-built SP-95 slammed into a grassy area beside a runway at Tyndall Air Force Base.
Witnesses said the single-engine, propeller-driven plane was completing a loop as Smisson was gathering speed to race a jet-powered pickup truck that was headed down the runway.
NTSB investigator John Lovell in Miami said The Federal Aviation Administration was gathering information on the scene that will be shared with the National Transportation Safety Board. But he said it's too early to make any judgment about the cause.
The crash occurred moments before the Air Force's Thunderbirds were to fly. Their performance immediately was canceled, but they put on a show Sunday and dedicated it to Smisson.
