Wed, Jun 05, 2024
Yak 52 Display Turns Fatal, But Still No Answers Yet
A combined Spanish-Portuguese aerobatic demo team suffered a fatality at the Beja AirShow, when one of their aircraft clipped another during a performance.
The show was held in the southern region of Portugal, the performing team's own backyard given their base in Ponte de Sor. Apparently, the lost pilot was the only one to die, with the other making a landing without incident. Given the incident, there were no injuries to bystanders or those below, surprisingly enough. They attempted to resuscitate him but called it in the late afternoon, unable to make the best of his injuries. The other pilot, also a Yakstars man, was taken to the hospital despite light injuries just to make sure everything turned out okay. In the end, they expect the case will be complete with only one fatality, making it a rarity for Continental Europe, but another somewhat high-profile reminder for summertime show runners. As always, the incident is under investigation there.
The Portuguese Air Forces weighed in, demurely thanking the fate that only performers were involved in an airshow accident. They described their sorrow and empathy for the loss and sent their condolences onwards, but didn't grant much additional detail.
The Yakstars are often bouncing around Iberia with their charges in tow, having bases in Casarrubios of Spain and Ponte de Sor, Portugal. Their aircraft are 6 Yak 52s of various vintage, all painted in some bespoke color scheme for maximum showmanship. Since their inception, Yakstars have performed more than 200 times, putting on a 17-minute display with 14 maneuvers in a handful of formations.
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