Two stunt planes collided in midair during an air show in Beja, Portugal, resulting in one plane crashing and bursting into flames, killing its Spanish pilot, according to the Portuguese Air Force (PAF).
The PAF, which hosted the event at an airbase in Beja, 180 km (110 miles) south of Lisbon, stated that the accident involved aircraft from the YAK STARS aerobatic patrol.
This patrol features both Portuguese and Spanish pilots and is renowned as the “largest civilian aerobatic team in southern Europe.”
Air Force Captain Patricia Fernandes informed broadcaster RTP that “one of the pilots, with Spanish nationality, died, and another pilot was injured.”
Following the accident, the PAF decided to cancel the Beja Air Show, Portugal’s largest air festival.
A video recorded by a spectator and shared on social media shows a formation of six planes in flight. One plane ascends, appears to make contact with another, and then crashes to the ground in a cloud of smoke.
According to the Air Force, one plane crashed outside the airbase’s perimeter, while the second plane involved managed to land on the airport tarmac, with no injuries reported among the spectators.
Portugal’s Defence Minister Nuno Melo described the incident as a tragic accident and announced an investigation to determine the exact cause of the collision.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed his condolences, stating, “It was meant to be a moment of leisure and shared enjoyment. It turned into a moment of pain.”
The Beja Air Show’s website indicated that the Yak Stars were participating alongside approximately 30 other European aerobatic groups.
The organisers had promoted the Yak Stars as southern Europe‘s largest civil aerobatics group.
Following the accident, the Air Force announced the suspension of the event, which began on Saturday. The Air Force extended its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased pilot.
