Terrifying final moments of Top Gun: Maverick flight instructor Charles Coleman as aircraft hit the ground

Terrifying footage captured a formation instructors last moments arsenic his craft plummeted to nan ground astatine an aerial show successful New Mexico connected Sunday.

Charles Thomas 'Chuck' Coleman was flying nan aforesaid Extra Flugzeugbau 300L two-seater he utilized to train nan formed of Top Gun: Maverick erstwhile it suddenly went down astir 2:30pm connected Sunday during nan Las Cruces Air and Space Expo astatine Las Cruces International Airport.

For 4 minutes prior, Coleman had expertly executed loops, rolls and Cuban maneuvers - often pulling consecutive upward and soaring complete nan runways pinch a watercourse of achromatic fume billowing down him, the Las Cruces Bulletin reports.

Video taken by a bystander moreover shows Coleman flying consecutive up into nan air, and doing immoderate tube rolls earlier nan level started to uncontrollably tumble nose-down to nan ground.

It past vanished down a furniture of godforsaken brushwood astatine a region from wherever nan spectators were standing.

'It was this large puff of dirt,' Terre Blevins, who took nan video, told nan Bulletin.

'And past I looked astatine nan information defender adjacent to me. I'm like, "Did he crash?" and she took disconnected running.'

An announcer successful nan video could past beryllium heard telling spectators, 'If you person societal media, please enactment disconnected of it for now.

'We person emergency crews connected nan way,' nan announcer could beryllium heard telling those successful attendance astatine nan aerial show. 'We person occurrence crews connected nan way.'

The remainder of nan show was abruptly canceled pursuing nan crash, and Blevins said that aft first responders arrived connected nan scene, spectators were instructed to time off nan airdrome calmly. 

Officials yet announced Coleman's decease connected Monday.

'We would for illustration to widen our deepest condolences to nan loved ones and fans of Chuck Coleman,' Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez said successful a connection astatine nan time.

Coleman's website said he was based retired of California and was an engineer, aerobatic and trial aviator pinch much than 10,000 hours of formation time.

He performed astatine hundreds of airshows and had provided much than 3,000 rides successful aerobatic aircraft, according to his website.

'He was 1 of nan astir skilled pilots retired there,' his friend, Christopher Van Pelt told KFOX. 'think what this nonaccomplishment represents is, is really nan nonaccomplishment of a mentor, nan nonaccomplishment of a friend.' 

Coleman and Van Pelt became friends successful 2010 and instantly connected. They've spent plentifulness of clip successful nan aerial together. 

'We spent a full batch of clip together. I can't moreover count really galore hours we spent successful nan aerial together,' he told KFOX. 'I perfectly loved moving pinch Chuck.

'He was very skilled and besides very talented. but you know, erstwhile you’re riding connected nan razor's edge, this benignant of point tin hap nary matter really bully you are.' 

Van Pelt said Coleman's resume was nan 'height of nan size of my body,' saying nan formation coach 'got to activity connected conscionable a ton of fascinating things.' 

The friend recalled Coleman getting a 'kick retired of' being asked to subordinate Top Gun: Maverick and activity pinch nan likes of Teller and others. 

'That was thing that he really sewage a footwear retired of. Just giving them, really, their first acquisition earlier they went disconnected to movie nan movie,' he told KFOX.  

Actor Miles Teller, who was 1 of nan stars of Top Gun: Maverick and was featured connected Coleman's Instagram, besides payed tribute to nan formation instructor.

'Chuck was our aerobatics formation coach and instrumental successful our mentation for Top Gun: Maverick,' he wrote connected X. 'He was an aerospace engineer, aerial show and trial aviator and our friend and ally.

'Chuck had a very easy-going measurement astir him, and we ever felt comfortable pinch his expertise astatine our disposal.

'He was kind, humble and funny astir others and nan world we unrecorded in,' Teller continued.

'Gone excessively soon, but his contributions will unrecorded connected forever. Thanks for nan memories, Chuck.' 

New Mexico State Police, nan Federal Aviation Administration and nan National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating nan clang that led to his death.