PERU, Ill. – Two small planes collided in mid-air Sunday morning before the start of the Illinois Valley Air Show, killing one of the pilots, authorities said.
The pilots were flying home-built aircraft to be displayed at the air show but were not part of the scheduled entertainment, said J. Michael Maloney, president of American Air Shows.
The planes touched as they were attempting to land, causing Christopher J. Good's aircraft to a crash in a field northeast of the Illinois Valley Regional Airport.
Good, a 55-year-old pilot from West Bend, Wis., died at the scene, said LaSalle County Coroner Jody Bernard.
After the collision, the other pilot was able to land his plane and declined medical treatment, police dispatcher Jamie Bradish said.
Maloney said the air show, which began on Saturday, was expected to be held Sunday but would get underway about two hours late. Event organizers did not immediately return a call Sunday afternoon on the show's status.
This is the second year the event has been held in Peru, which is located about 90 miles southwest of Chicago.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox