Terrifying scenes as plane catches fire during Texas air show

UK Daily Mail ^ | 02/16/2025 | Noa Halff

[DFG]

Terrifying scenes unfolded at a Texas air show when a plane burst into flames during an emergency landing.

The aircraft crashed at the WBCA Air Show at Laredo International Airport, and became engulfed in fire as horrified spectators watched.

According to reports, the A20 Havoc 'N747HS' suffered engine problems before it landed, although the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The crash left its pilot with serious head injuries, the Laredo Police Department told LMTonline.

Emergency services rushed to the runway, with fire crews battling to contain the blaze while paramedics tended to the injured pilot.

Fire Department spokesperson Hernan Martinez revealed the pilot suffered serious facial and head injuries in the crash and is being airlifted to San Antonio for urgent medical treatment.

'The plane did have mechanical issues in the air and had to do an emergency landing. The pilot did suffer injuries, facial and head and he is going to be flown out to San Antonio by air,' Martinez told the outlet.

'We have all units standing by for the protection of the pilots and he will be taken to the hospital for further evaluation,' he added.

Police were forced to shut down multiple roads around the airport as the incident unfolded, with both Jacaman Road and Bartlett Road closed to traffic to allow emergency vehicles access to the scene.

[DFG]

https://www.airhistory.net/photo/356344/N747HS/321709

[DFG]

https://lewisairlegends.com/a20-havoc

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-20_Havoc

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I'd never heard of that plane! This was the very last airworthy A20 in the USA.

From Lewis Air Legends A20-Havoc...

Even though it was the most-produced Army Air Forces attack aircraft of WWII, the A-20 Havoc was so quickly replaced by other warplanes that few are left to restore. The Lewis Air Legends Collection is proud to fly what is probably the only airworthy model in existence. A truly international warbird, the A-20 was a dependable attack, light bomber and night fighter designed in 1938 for the U.S. Army Air Corps but also seeing duty in the French, United Kingdom and Soviet air forces. The small bomber, called Boston by the British and Commonwealth air forces but dubbed Havoc by the RAF night fighters, saw action in every theater of the war. The last were produced in 1944, with Douglas having made over 7,000 and Boeing nearly 400. More than half of the A-20s built went into service in other countries. The Lewis Havoc was acquired from the Lone Star Flight museum and restored to full stock military configuration.

[TNoldman]

Unfortunately accidents are all too common at Air Shows.

Praying for the Pilot and anyone else that may be involved. In Jesus’ Name I Pray. Amen.

[heavy metal]

80 year old airplanes should be in a museum... not in the sky...

[ProtectOurFreedom]

It's amazing that more people aren't killed at air shows. The worst I remember was Sept. 16, 2011 at the Reno Air Races. Pilot Jimmy Leeward and 10 spectators died when his heavily modified World War II-era aircraft lost control while banking around a pylon at Reno-Stead Airport and slammed into the box seating area. About 70 people were seriously injured, many from flying shrapnel.

[monkeyshine]

If there were 7400 produced one would think more than one was still around to restore and keep up. Nice looking plane.

[VeniVidiVici]

I was at Transpo 72 the day a Thunderbird F4 crashed.

[HerrBlucher]

At high racing speeds, the pilots have to put in a lot of elevator trim tab to keep the nose down. Leewards trim tab broke putting him into a very high G climb.The speculation is the sudden climb had so many G’s that he passed out and crashed.

[Sequoyah101]

Yup.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I remember the broken trim tab, but not that the sudden climb was such high G that he might have passed out and crashed. Thanks.

[oldplayer]

“80 year old airplanes should be in a museum... not in the sky...”
______________________________________________

Nhaaa. They’re meant to be flown.

[StormEye]

"I was at Transpo 72 the day a Thunderbird F4 crashed."

I was also at Transpo 72. I saw that guy being pulled
by a car down the runway while he held on to some sort of
hang glider. Something went wrong and he fell several hundred
feet to his death ... right in front of me. I was 16
years-old then.

[fella]

The A-20 was a major workhorse during WW II. Didn’t get all the glory of the heavy bombers but did lots of the low level grunt work.

[heavy metal]

my dad had a 1946 ercoupe...

that thing was constantly getting ad’s (airworthiness directives) from the faa...

i nicknamed it the scarecoupe...

aluminum degrades over time...

80 year old aluminum belongs in a museum... not in the sky...