A Wisconsin pilot was killed Sunday afternoon when the vintage military-style jet he was flying crashed in a field near Mayfield Graves County Airport in southwest Kentucky, just minutes after he radioed that he was heading back to the runway because of a problem. His daughter, piloting a second jet of the same type, landed safely at the airport.
The crash happened around 2:08 p.m. on Sunday, according to the Graves County Sheriff's Office, as reported by WPSD Local 6. Emergency responders arrived to find the aircraft engulfed in flames in a field just off Spence Chapel Road, and the pilot, who was the plane's only occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Father and Daughter Were Flying Matching Jets
The pilot and his daughter, both from Wisconsin, were returning from an air show in Mississippi when they stopped at Mayfield Graves County Airport to refuel, the sheriff's office said, per the same report from WPSD Local 6. Both were flying L-39 Albatros aircraft, an older military-style jet once used for training pilots. The daughter had also attended the Mississippi air show in her own L-39, according to WZTV.
After the pair took off from the refueling stop, the pilot radioed that he was experiencing an issue and was turning back toward the airport, the sheriff's office said. The plane went down in the field soon after that call, per the same account relayed by WPSD Local 6. The second L-39, flown by the daughter, returned to the airport and landed without incident.
FAA and NTSB Set to Investigate
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and are responding to the scene, and officials said they will lead the investigation into the crash, according to the Mayfield Messenger. No cause has been determined, and investigators have not released findings on what triggered the issue the pilot reported before the crash.
The crash marks the second fatal plane accident reported near Mayfield Graves County Airport in recent years. In February 2021, a pilot died in a separate crash near the same airport, which the sheriff's office at the time said was reported at about 4:55 p.m., according to The Courier-Journal.
An L-39 Was Involved in a Separate Recent Crash
The L-39 Albatros, a Soviet-era jet trainer that has become popular among civilian aviation enthusiasts and air show performers, was involved in a separate recent crash in western Minnesota that killed one person aboard, according to the Star Tribune. The FAA's initial report on that crash found the aircraft had experienced engine issues, struck power lines, and then hit the ground, the newspaper reported.
No further details about the identities of the Wisconsin pilot or his daughter have been released, and investigators have not said what specific mechanical or operational issue the pilot described in his radio call before the crash. The FAA and NTSB investigation is expected to determine what led to the fatal outcome.
