Who was Charles Thomas “Chuck” Coleman, the “Top Gun: Maverick” flight instructor who died during an air show

The American pilot Charles Thomas “Chuck” Colemanwho he was flight instructor by the actors of the film on the plane Top Gun: nonconformist, he lost his life on October 20th at 61 years old old while doing stunts with a small plane during an air festival in his country.

The accident occurred Sunday afternoon in the state of New Mexicoin the United States, according to local media. At the moment, Coleman he was piloting alone a plane with a turboprop engine at the air show Las Cruces Air and Space Expocarried out within the airport facilities Las Cruces International Airport.

This was reported by local authorities, cited by the news agency Associated press (AP), that the man was performing stunts in the air when suddenly his plane crashed into the ground. Following the accident, Coleman died instantly.

“Unfortunately, we had a tragic end to our Air and Space Expo this weekend. During Sunday’s event, a plane crash occurred resulting in the death of pilot Charles T. ‘Chuck’ Coleman. We want to express our deepest condolences to his loved ones and admirers.“said the mayor of Las Cruces, Eric Enriquezon Oct. 21, according to a post on the city’s official Facebook page.

Currently, The causes of the accident are being investigated by the New Mexico State Police, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The witnesses present on site managed to film with their cameras the moment of the fall of the model plane Flugzeugbau extra 300 l.

The story of the famous “Top Gun” pilot and instructor.

In the bio of his Instagram profile, Coleman announced that he is performance and test pilot, aerobatic flight instructor and aerospace engineer with residence in Los Angeles.

At the same time, the American had a personal website, where provided information on his professional experience. Through this site he clarified that he has more than 10,000 hours of flying under his belt and also explained that he has performed in hundreds of air shows.

“Chuck has made more than three thousand trips in aerobatic aircraft. He has traveled around the world in planes such as Burt Rutan’s Proteus, used for scientific research. Chuck has also performed tasks for programs such as SpaceShip One, winner of the Collier Trophy and designed by Burt Rutan,” is detailed on his page.

Additionally, Coleman has stated, through his website, that he is a member of the Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG).

Regarding his participation in film productions, the man claimed to have provided his services as an aviation professional in numerous films and He was an aerobatic flying instructor for the actors in the film Top Gun: nonconformist.

He, as stated, prepared the actors “with 140 flights“so that they could then travel on board F-18 Super Hornet during the filming of the film. The film in question stars, among others, Tom Cruise, Miles Teler, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly and Glen Powell.

“RIP ‘Chuck’ Coleman. Chuck was our aerobatic flying instructor and played an integral role in our preparation Top Gun: nonconformist. He was an aerospace engineer, test pilot and air show pilot our friend and ally. spindle He had a very calm character and we always felt at ease with their expertise at our disposal,” Miles Teler wrote in a post on his X (Twitter) account on October 21.

“He was kind, humble and curious about others and the world we live in. He left too soon but Your contributions will last forever.. Thanks for the memories, ‘Chuck,'” the actor greeted in the same publication.

Impact on Google

The repercussions of the news of the death of the American pilot, flight instructor and engineer have been reflected in Google search “trends” in the last few hours.

Argentine users, after hearing the tragic news, turned to the platform to gain more knowledge on the issue.