Pilot Killed as Plane Crashed at Ohio Air Show

Filed in archive Airshows on July 29, 2007

Stunt pilot, Jim LeRoy, was killed on Saturday when the plane he was performing stunts in crashed at an Ohio air show. The Marine veteran was making loop-to-loops when his Pitts aircraft hit the runaway in front of hundreds of onlookers.

"It came down and didn't have enough room," said Aaron Smith, who was watching with his 5-year-old son. "I could hear it crunch, hard. Some pieces came off."

The plane struck the ground at an angle and slid about 300 yards, bursting into flames and spewing smoke, said Airport Fire Chief Mark Carpenter. It took less than a minute for fire trucks to arrive and start putting out the fire.

"We cut Mr. LeRoy out of the aircraft," Carpenter said.

LeRoy died en route to Miami Valley Hospital, Carpenter said. The crash's cause was being investigated.

LeRoy, a Marine veteran who had a degree in aeronautical engineering, was a design engineer with GE aircraft engines until he became a full-time stunt pilot in 1997.

He won the Art Scholl Award for showmanship in 2002, presented by the International Council of Air Shows, and the Bill Barber Award for showmanship in 2003, presented by the World Airshow News.

A performance by the Air Force Thunderbirds was canceled. Some people with ticket stubs from Saturday will be admitted to Sunday's scheduled performance, officials said.

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