The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Friday confirmed a famous aerobatic pilot who fatally crashed at Langley Air Force Base was in touch with the air traffic control tower prior to the tragedy.
Rob Holland, the pilot, was the only person onboard and died after crashing into the dirt near the taxiway just after 11:30 a.m. Thursday, according to NTSB president Dan Boggs.
Holland was attempting a routine landing when the tragedy occurred, and was not performing any stunts, Boggs said.
The airfield was closed at the time and military operations were not impacted.
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The NTSB confirmed Holland was speaking to the control tower before the crash, but officials are still working on getting a copy of the communications between air traffic controllers and the pilot.
While it is unclear if Holland tried to maneuver the plane before it went down, the NTSB is working on getting witness statements.
“Whether they’re aviation people, they see it one way, versus non-aviation,” he said. “We’re going to put all of that together. … If there’s anybody that was driving in a car or just happened to see the entire accident sequence, I would like to hear about that.”
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The aircraft, an MX Aircraft MXS, was a single-engine, single-seat plane.
It is specifically built and designed for airshows and has nearly double the horsepower of a typical small aircraft.
“It’s just an all-around stunt airplane, and it’s well respected in the air show community,” Boggs said.
The aircraft will be taken off site as the NTSB investigates.
If investigators find any issues with the plane, Boggs said the NTSB will immediately put out a safety bulletin for all pilots that fly that class.
Holland was scheduled to fly at the Hampton Roads airshow at Joint Base Langley-Eustis on Saturday and Sunday, according to his website.
He would have joined the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, ACC F-22 Demo Team and the U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight, along with other performers.
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Installation Commander and Air Force Col. Matthew Altman said the airshow will continue as scheduled.
“The world of aviation has truly lost a legend, a hero, and even more so, a great human being. That really cannot be overstated,” Altman said. “Not only do we hope that this airshow is, yet again, a great opportunity to welcome in the community and still celebrate the joy of air power and all the inspiration that brings, but we do hope that it’s also a tribute to his legacy, and really his wizardry in the air.”
