An air show near the Spanish capital of Madrid ended in tragedy as a historic jet plane crashed into a hangar resulting in the death of the pilot.
Ladislao Tejedor Romero, 35, was an experienced pilot and an assistant to Defense Pedro Morenes. Romero was rushed to Getafe hospital but succumbed to serious burns and passed away according to a spokesman from Spain's Defense Ministry.
Romero was flying a HA-200 Saeta from the 1950's. The Saeta was the first jet aircraft made in Spain by Hispano Aviacion. The Saeta was originally used as a training aircraft but eventually was given combat functionality according to Alfredo Florenza, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry.
Around 3,000 spectators had gathered at Cuatro Vientos airfield on a beautiful day to see vintage aircraft fly and witness acrobatics performed by daredevil pilots.
Video of the crash, seen below, shows the plane go into a dive and nearly pull up at the last second. Then the plane disappears under the sight line and seconds late a giant fireball and plume of smoke rises into the air.
There has yet to be an official report of injuries from the crash and the reports that have come out are contradictory.
The Spanish airport authority, AENA, said Romero was the only person injured in the crash. The Europa Press news agency quoted sources that an additional three people were injured; a rescue worker suffering burns, a 57 year-old man having an anxiety attack who may have been the father of the pilot and a rescue worker suffering from smoke inhalation.
"He was flying very low compared to other shows I have been to," Juan Antonio Alcobendas, a witness to the crash, told Spanish newspaper El Pais. "Before the exhibition he was talking to spectators and we watched him check the gas and oil."
The cause of the crash is still unknown.
