Two vintage planes collided in mid-air in California on Sunday, killing a veteran pilot, and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident.
Ryder Adams, 62, a member of the Precision Flying Tiger Squadron, was flying an old Chinese-made CJ-6A plane when it crashed into a Soviet-era aircraft over Lancaster. KTTV-TV News reported.
The pilot of the second plane, whose identity has not been released, miraculously survived without serious injuries after making an emergency landing nearby, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
“This is truly a tragic day for the RPA family.” The Red Star Pilots Association said on Facebook: Monday.
“It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of our new leader and my good friend, Ryder 'Hammer' Adams,” the post read. “Ryder Nanchan was killed in a mid-air collision with a fellow RPA pilot's aircraft while returning from a training event in Northern California.
“At this time the full details of the accident are unknown but thankfully the pilot of the other plane survived the off-field landing,” the statement said. “Thoughts are with Ryder's wife, Chris.”
The crashes happened around 12:50 p.m., with one plane going down near East 47th Street and the other near East 60th Street in suburban Los Angeles, according to KTTV.
According to the Tiger Squadron website:Adams flew a 1985-built Nanchang CJ-6A.
According to the Tiger Squadron website, Adams received his pilot's license in January 2012 and “was qualified in advanced multi-engine and multi-engine aircraft four months later.”
The other plane was a Soviet-era Yakovlev Yak-52, according to KTTV.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, the NTSB said in a statement Sunday.
