Tumbling Bear Airshow Pilot Survives Modesto Crash

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Key Takeaways:

  • Airshow performer Rob Harrison, "The Tumbling Bear," crashed his Zlin 50LX during a low-level maneuver at Modesto airport.
  • The aircraft impacted the ground, slid, and came to rest on its side, witnessed by approximately 4,000 spectators.
  • Harrison, 66, survived the crash with serious injuries and was reported in stable condition after being airlifted to Memorial Medical Center.
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Airshow performer Rob Harrison Saturday crashed his Zlin 50LX while performing at Modesto airport, and though one witness told a local ABC news channel, “the plane just went all to pieces,” Harrison, 66, survived the impact with serious injuries. The pilot, nicknamed “The Tumbling Bear,” was performing a rolling maneuver at low level near the end of his routine when the aircraft touched the ground and slid for about 100 feet before coming to rest on its side, relatively far from spectators. A crowd of about 4,000 people witnessed the crash and stayed to watch remote-control aircraft perform following Harrison’s evacuation by helicopter to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. Harrison was reported Sunday to be resting in stable condition. Details of his injuries were not released.

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