Chuck Coleman Fatally Injured During Aerobatic Routine

Spectators at the 2nd annual Las Cruces Air & Space Expo were shocked and stunned into silence after watching renowned stunt pilot Charles T. “Chuck” Coleman impact the ground during his routine on October 20.

Many of those attending the show captured video of Coleman’s routine and one showed him performing rolls, loops, and cuban maneuvers. After about four minutes as he did a series of rolls while climbing, he appeared to enter a tumbling maneuver and descended into an inverted position and then descended in a nose-down attitude into the ground.

In the video, Coleman’s Extra 300L disappeared behind another airplane parked on the ramp. Witnesses reported that the crash was partially obscured from view by an area of desert brush but said they saw a big puff of dust and dirt thrown into the air at some distance from spectators.

The show announcer instructed spectators to refrain from posting any video on their social media until after the family had been notified.

Chuck Coleman was an aerospace engineer, test pilot, flight instructor, and airshow pilot with more than 10,000 hours total flight time and over 4,000 hours in the Extra 300L he was flying in this show. He performed in hundreds of air shows, and flew the chase plane for Burt Rutan’s SpaceShip One.

Coleman also held A&P mechanic as well as AI FAA certifications. He was also a member of the Screen Actors Guild and provided aerial support for films, including aerobatic instruction for the actors in Top Gun: Maverick. In that capacity he flew 140 flights to prep the actors to fly in the F-18 Hornets.

FMI:  ctcoleman.com/