The Public Prosecutor's Office have opened an investigation to discover the circumstances under which the plane crash occurred at the Beja Air Show festival, on Sunday afternoon, which caused one death and one minor injury.The accident, which occurred at 4:05 pm on Sunday, during the Beja AirShow festival at Air Base No. 11 (BA11). It involved two aircraft, and caused the death of a Spanish pilot and minor injuries to another pilot, of Portuguese nationality.
One of the aircraft crashed mid-flight and another managed to remain in the air and landed safely, at nearby Évora Municipal Aerodrome.
The 37 year old Portuguese pilot, who suffered minor injuries, was discharged from hospital on Sunday night.
The two pilots were part of the Iberian patrol Yakstars aerobatic display team, consisiting of Portuguese and Spanish pilots, made up of six aircraft. The group flies Warbird Yak52s aircraft, developed by the Soviet Union, and is one of the largest civil aviation aerobatic display teams.
The official statement released immediately said, "The Air Force regrets to announce that, at 4:05 pm, during the Beja AirShow air festival, at Air Base No. 11, two aircraft suffered an accident during an air demonstration. We currently have emergency services on site providing emergency services, in accordance with the established security plan, which was immediately activated. More information will be made available as soon as it is obtained".
According to reports, spectators noticed something unusual with the sound of one of the planes in the formation, shortly before the accident.
