An airplane caught on fire during an air show in Laredo, Texas, on Sunday, leaving one person injured.
The incident happened shortly before 1 p.m. at the Laredo International Airport, where the aircraft was participating in the WBCA Stars & Stripes Air Show Spectacular.
Only one plane was involved, according to KGNS. The plane’s engine caught on fire while in the air, but the pilot landed the plane and the fire was put out once on the ground.
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An airplane caught on fire during an air show in Laredo, Texas, on Sunday. (Getty Images)
The pilot, a man in his 70s, was transported to the Laredo Medical Center in critical condition following the incident. He was then transferred to San Antonio for observation.
“The plane did have mechanical issues in the air and had to do an emergency landing,” Laredo Fire Department spokesperson Hernan Martinez told the Laredo Morning Times. “The pilot did suffer injuries, facial and head, and he is going to be flown out to San Antonio by air. We have all units standing by for the protection of the pilots, and he will be taken to the hospital for further evaluation.”
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No other people were inside the aircraft.
Laredo Police said that Jacaman Road and Barlett Avenue near the airport were closed off because of the fire inside the airport grounds. Police announced a short time later that the airshow had resumed and the lanes of travel had been reopened.
A Federal Aviation Administration sign hangs in the tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport, March 16, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
The Federal Aviation Administration is leading the investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating.
This comes just a day after at least two people died when a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff from an airport in Georgia.