An award-winning stunt pilot died when his “experimental” plane crashed at a military base in Virginia while training for an upcoming airshow
Aerobatics pilot Rob Holland was preparing for this weekend’s Air Power Over Hampton Roads air show when his custom MX Aircraft MXS crashed shortly before noon while landing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton.
He was the only person onboard at the time.
Rob was one of the most respected and inspiring aerobatic pilots in aviation history,” said a post on his official Facebook page confirming his death.
“Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday.”
Holland’s small carbon-fiber MX Aircraft MXS was described as “experimental” by the National Transit Safety Board, which is investigating the crash.
“Today we lost a friend of our Air Force family,” Joint Base Langley-Eustis commander Col. Matthew Altman said in a statement.
“On behalf of our entire JBLE team, I want to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of this incredible aviator.”
The base where the crash occurred is composed of the Army’s Fort Eustis and Langley Air Force Base, near the southwestern edge of the Chesapeake Bay.
The annual Air Power Over Hampton Roads airshow is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the base, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
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