Stunt pilot dies during air show

KANSAS CITY, Mo (AP) :

A stunt pilot was killed in fiery crash during a Kansas City air show on Saturday after his plane appeared unable to get out of a downward spiral and plummeted nose-first into the ground, witnesses and authorities said.

But despite the tragedy, air show officials said they consulted with other pilots and agreed the show would continue yesterday.

Missouri Department of Aviation spokesman Joe McBride said the pilot couldn't pull out of a manoeuvre and the biplane crashed at a downtown airfield.

First fatal crash

No spectators were injured, and McBride said it was the first fatal crash at the annual Kansas City Aviation Expo Air Show.

Event officials identified the pilot as Bryan Jensen. A website promoting a pilot by the same name who was scheduled to perform at the show said he had been flying aerobatics for 15 years, worked for a major airline and had more than 23,000 hours of flight time.

Witnesses said the red biplane was performing loops, then couldn't pull up from a downward spiral. They said the crowd fell silent when the plane hit the ground and burst into flames.

"It was right in front of the crowd," said Kansas City Council member Jan Marcason, who was watching the aerial acrobatics when the plane crashed around 1:45 p.m.

Others said it appeared that the pilot was going to gain control of the plane and that the manoeuvre initially looked scripted.

The US Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.