Pilot killed in New Mexico airshow crash had given lessons to "Top Gun" cast

Las Cruces, New Mexico — A man who died in a crash of a small plane during a New Mexico air show was an accomplished pilot who had performed stunts at hundreds of air shows, authorities said Monday.

Charles Thomas "Chuck" Coleman was the only person on board the two-seat Extra Flugzeugbau EA300 monoplane when it went down around 2:30 p.m. Sunday during the Las Cruces Air and Space Expo at Las Cruces International Airport, city officials said.

Authorities said Coleman was performing aerobatics when the plane crashed about a half-mile west of the airport. The show was called off after the crash.