Hellcat Believed To Be From Chino's Planes Of Fame Museum

The pilot of a WWII-era Grumman F6F "Hellcat" fighter plane died Saturday when attempting an emergency landing on an interstate median outside Nashville, TN. According to witnesses, the aircraft clipped power lines and caught fire as it reached the ground.

The aircraft's markings suggest the single-seat Hellcat (file photo of type, right) belonged to the Planes Of Fame Museum in Chino, CA. The museum features several WWII vintage aircraft, many kept in flying condition to perform at air shows across the nation.

"We don't have identification on the pilot. As far as we know there is only one victim in the crash," said Putnam County Sheriff Deputy Dave Andrews to Nashville's WTFV. "Putnam County rescue squad... did a thorough search.  They did not find anyone else."

According to the Planes Of Fame airshow website, the museum's F6F Hellcat was scheduled to perform this weekend at Little Rock AFB in Arkansas, in an airshow commemorating that facility's 50th anniversary.

It is not clear at this time if the aircraft performing at the Little Rock show is the same F6F involved in the accident.

FMI: www.planesoffame.org, www.pofairshows.org