Top Gun: Maverick flight instructor Chuck Coleman is killed in air show horror crash

The formation coach for Top Gun: Maverick was killed during a New Mexico aerial show scary crash.   

Charles Thomas 'Chuck' Coleman was nan only personification connected committee nan two-seat Extra Flugzeugbau EA300 monoplane erstwhile it went down astir 2:30pm connected Sunday during nan Las Cruces Air and Space Expo astatine Las Cruces International Airport.

Authorities said Coleman was performing aerobatics erstwhile nan level collapsed astir a half-mile West of nan airport. The aerial show was called disconnected aft nan crash.

Coleman was nan aerobatic formation coach connected nan 2022 movie Top Gun: Maverick, moreover having trained 1 of nan lead actors, Miles Teller, who moreover appeared connected his Instagram. 

The knowledgeable flier had to alert much than 100 flights to hole nan actors for formation successful US Navy F-18 Hornets for nan blockbuster. 

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

The airdrome was temporarily closed during nan first investigation, pinch only scheduled and emergency consequence flights permitted. 

'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 Monday.

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.  

Just days earlier his death, Coleman had expressed really excited he was for nan aerial show. 

'It’s going to beryllium a awesome arena pinch this, look astatine this entity you person present successful New Mexico, conscionable a spectacular type of thing,' he said astatine a property conference.