French-Spanish pilot Olivier Masurel, champion of aerobatic flying, died after his plane collided with a vulture. He was returning to Madrid from San Javier, in the province of Murcia, after performing in an air show.
A spokesperson for the regional government’s Emergency Response Coordination Center said: «Firefighters from Alcazar de San Juan were mobilized following an accident with a light aircraft. The plane caught fire after hitting the ground near the CM-3012 road, causing the death of the pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft».
In a statement, the San Javier Airshow – an event where Masurel had been present – confirmed the pilot’s death: «We are heartbroken by the news of the fatal accident suffered by Olivier Masurel, an aerobatic pilot who participated in the air show. A vulture hit his cabin and he died. The accident happened after the festival ended. We accompany his family and friends in this sad loss».
