Vintage biplane crashes at California air show

FAIRFIELD, Calif. - An elderly pilot was killed Sunday when his vintage biplane crashed while performing a stunt at a Northern California air show attended by thousands of people, officials said.

Eddie Andreini, 77, of Half Moon Bay, was executing an aerial acrobatic maneuver in his 1944 PT-17 Stearman when the biplane crashed at 2:05 p.m., officials said.

The plane was taking part in the Thunder Over Solano air show at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County. Witnesses at the scene told CBS Sacramento the plane was flying upside down before it crashed.

Spectator Angie Giles, from Antioch, said the plane "flipped over to do a trick and hit the ground and dragged over the ground."

Sgt. Rachel Martinez, a spokeswoman for the base, said nobody in attendance was injured. Martinez said organizers estimated that 100,000 people attended the air show Sunday.

The plane crash cut short the air show as emergency responders flooded to the scene.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Eddie Andreini. Our Travis team responded to this tragic incident to ensure the safety of everyone on the installation," the base said in a statement.

The pilot was a civilian.

Authorities were asking any spectators who may have taken photos or recorded video of the crash to get in touch with them.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash.