Skip to main content
Clear icon
60º

1 dead in plane crash at Stuart Air Show

Martin County sheriff says pilot of Grumman OV-1 Mohawk killed in crash

STUART, Fla. – One person was killed Friday in a plane crash at the Stuart Air Show.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Rick Breitenfeldt said the Grumman OV-1 Mohawk crashed about 1:15 p.m. He said the pilot, identified as Dr. Joseph Masessa, a certified pilot who was the only person on the plane.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said the plane was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. He said the pilot was killed in the crash. The pilot's name hasn't been released pending notification of next of kin.

Nobody else was injured.

The three-day air show at Witham Field was scheduled to open Friday.

Because of the crash, Friday night's events were canceled.

The Stuart Air Show initially said the remainder of this weekend's events will go on as scheduled, but events planned on Saturday and Sunday were canceled due to weather. 

A small plane crashed during a practice maneuver at the Stuart Air Show.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first plane crash that the air show has ever had," Snyder said.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.


Recommended Videos