A mid-air collision between two small planes at an air show in southern Portugal resulted in the death of a Spanish pilot on Sunday. The tragic accident occurred during a performance by the YAK STARS aerobatic patrol above the Beja air base, approximately 180 km south of Lisbon.
According to reports from Mail Online, one of the planes exploded into flames upon impact, leading to the fatality of its pilot. The Portuguese Air Force (PAF), which organized the event, immediately cancelled the Beja Air Show, Portugal’s largest air festival, in light of the incident.
A spectator’s video captured the horrifying moment the planes collided, followed by one crashing to the ground. Emergency services swiftly responded to the scene. The air force later confirmed the death of the Spanish pilot and reported injuries sustained by another pilot involved in the crash.
The YAK STARS aerobatic team, comprising both Portuguese and Spanish pilots, is renowned as the largest civilian aerobatic team in southern Europe. The incident has cast a shadow over what was intended to be a display of aerial skill and precision.
