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Charles Thomas “Chuck” Coleman was the only person on board the
two-seat Extra Flugzeugbau EA300 monoplane when it went down
around 2:30 p.m. Sunday during the Las Cruces Air and Space Expo
at Las Cruces International Airport, city officials said.
Authorities said Coleman was performing aerobatics when the
plane crashed about a half-mile west of the airport. The air
show was called off after the crash.
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 airshows and had provided more than
3,000 rides in aerobatic aircraft, according to his website.
It also said Coleman was an aerobatic flight instructor for
actors in the 2022 film “ Top Gun: Maverick,” flying more than
100 flights to prepare the actors for flight in U.S. Navy F-18
Hornets.
“We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the loved
ones and fans of Chuck Coleman,” Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez
said in a statement Monday.
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.
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