Pilot killed in Iowa air show crash

A Soviet-era retired military jet crashed while performing at the Quad City Air Show in Davenport, Ia., on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012. The pilot was killed. / YouTube/streetify9

(CBS/AP) DAVENPORT, Iowa - A plane that was part of an air show in eastern Iowa has crashed, and authorities say the pilot was killed.

The Quad-Cities Times reports that the Soviet-era retired military jet was performing with the Quad City Air Show in Davenport.

Authorities say the jet was flying in formation with other jets when it failed to pull out of a 45-degree bank and crashed into a field north of Interstate 80 around 1:25 p.m. Saturday.

Nobody on the ground was hurt, but crowds watching the show saw the plane go down and erupt in flames.

Davenport police and federal investigators planned to comb the field Saturday for widely-scattered wreckage from the plane.

Assistant Davenport Police Chief Don Schaeffer did not identify the pilot, but said he was not from Davenport.

CBS Affiliate WHBF reports the air show will continue Sunday.

[vegasaviator]

This air crash and the death of one pilot is a tragedy. I got to know the entire Flight Tour Team of Hoppers. This is the AV- L-39 Albatross made in the Czech Rep. I met with the Hoppers flight team at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas while we attended courses together and shared experiences at the International Council of Air Shows - 2008 or 2009. I never had such a great time in my life talking and learning from them about the L-39 Albatross. I was in my training and they asked me to become an honorary member of the Hoppers in support of my dream of completing my jet pilot training. They gave me a Hopper Pilot's badge. This is the same badge seen on their home page at hoppersflight.com. Hoppers Team is made up of some of the best pilots known in the U.S. They have a limited airshow schedule and take the time to practice their formation flying together. I learned that they successfully completed the practice airshow the day before the crash. Their most recent event was in July of this year. I saw a video of that show on youtube. At every airshow, the pilots work closely with children. The Hopper pilots are volunteers and support general aviation in communities throughout the Midwestern states. Even after such incident, I would not hesitate for even one moment to get in a jet with the Hopper Team pilots.

While I know it will take one year or more for the FAA to complete its investigation and issue a report of their findings, I know how important it is to the public to understand that, in my opinion, this is an extremely safe military jet. It is build for training thousands of pilots each year from Russia and other Eastern European Counties. It is the current air to ground tactical fighter jet of Poland, and previously held that role in Germany. The plane is built with very small wings with a short wingspan. It is completely dependent on thrust in order to establish great stability in the skies during aggressive aerial acts. I do not believe that there was pilot error involved in this fatal accident. Thus, I am thinking about the possibility of a serious mechanical failure. I am most concerned whether this crash could have been a result of an overheated engine. Obviously, it's too early to tell. An L-39 crashed in Boulder City, Nevada on May 18, 2012 and two lives were lost - the pilot and passenger.
Ron Serota, Student Pilot in the L-39 Albatross with more than 30 take offs and landings.

[Lou336699]

A 45 degree bank is not an aerobatic maneuver, simply a "tight turn",
not particularly dangerous. Performed thousands of times daily, by as many pilots. Had to be some other cause, medical or mechanical.

[Lou336699]

A 45 degree bank is not an aerobatic maneuver....it is simply a "tight turn", not particularly dangerous.... done thousands times daily by as many pilots...had to be something else, like a medical emergency or equipment failure.

[KansasCity-2012]

Its sad to hear news when a fellow aviator didn't come back down safely.

[Mike_in_USA]

tum-tum-tum, another one bites the dust!