The flight instructor who trained actors in the 2022 Top Gun: Maverick movie has died in a small plane crash during an air show in New Mexico.
Charles Thomas “Chuck” Coleman was the only person on board the two-seat Extra Flugzeugbau EA300 monoplane when it went down around 2:30pm local time on Sunday.
Mr Coleman was performing aerobatics when the plane crashed during the Las Cruces Air and Space Expo at Las Cruces International Airport, city officials said.
The air show was called off after the crash, which happened about half a mile west of the airport.
Mr Coleman’s website said he was based out of California and was an engineer, aerobatic and test pilot with more than 10,000 hours of flight time.
He performed at hundreds of air shows and had provided more than 3,000 rides in aerobatic aircraft, according to his website.
As the instructor for actors in Top Gun, which stars Tom Cruise, he flew more than 100 flights to prepare the cast for flight in US Navy F-18 Hornets.
Actor Miles Teller paid tribute to Mr Coleman, saying on X he was “instrumental in our preparation for Top Gun: Maverick.
“He was an aerospace engineer, air show and test pilot, and our friend and ally. Chuck had a very easy going way about him and we always felt comfortable with his expertise at our disposal.
“He was kind, humble and curious about others and the world we live in. Gone too soon but his contributions will live on forever. Thanks for the memories, Chuck.”
Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez said on Monday: “We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones and fans of Chuck Coleman.”
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New Mexico State Police, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
The airport was temporarily closed during the initial investigation, with only scheduled and emergency response flights permitted.