LeRoy Killed During Performance In Dayton

Editorial Staff

Saturday, July 28, 2007 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Award-winning aerobatic pilot Jim LeRoy died in a Pitts Special crash during the Dayton Air Show.
The crash occurred during a loop maneuver, resulting in the plane hitting the runway and catching fire.
Emergency responders were quick to the scene, but LeRoy died before reaching the hospital.
The remainder of the airshow, including the Thunderbirds performance, was cancelled.

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Award-winning aerobatic pilot Jim LeRoy died Saturday when his Pitts Special crashed during a performance at the Dayton (Ohio) Air Show. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, LeRoy, 46, was in one of two aircraft making loops when his biplane hit the runway at an angle and slid about 300 yards before catching on fire. First responders arrived in less than a minute, and firefighters quickly extinguished the flames. LeRoy was cut out of his Pitts airplane, but he died en route to Miami Valley Hospital. The rest of the airshow performance, which included a finale by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, was canceled following the accident.