A stunt pilot in an air show over downtown Pittsburgh lost control of his biplane and plunged into the Ohio River as thousands of people watched today.
The pilot, Clarence Speal, was flying a loop when both wings on the left side of his plane folded back.
Mr. Speal's wife, Audrey, was announcing his stunts over a loudspeaker at the show when he crashed. Witnesses said she had abruptly stopped talking as he fell out of the sky and begun crying.
Nightfall forced rescue workers to call off the search. The Coast Guard and city River Rescue personnel plan to resume on the search on Monday with sonar to pinpoint the wreckage.
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My kids had Clancy's signed pics in their bedrooms.
We were nearby when it happened. Heard the sound of the wings snap.
Was working in news and did the story.
When the wreck was pulled from the Ohio River there was a tarp over the cockpit. Even so some of us in the news were able to see it.
Not something you want to see. Amazing how fragile a human body is and how it is destroyed on impact with water.
I bet that picture didn’t leave your mind for a long while.