Pilot Identified in Deadly Air Show Crash

Image Credit: @fierce_miles

CHAMBLEE, GA -- The pilot who died in an air show crash Saturday at DeKalb Peachtree Airport has been identified.

Greg Connell was behind the stick of his custom-built biplane when he failed to pull out of a dive and crashed into the ground. Connell was performing toward the conclusion of the airport's Good Neighbor Day Air Show, an event that has been going on for more than 30 years.

This is the first time that a fatal accident has occurred in the show's history.

The crash happened shortly before 5 pm.

Members of the DeKalb County Cadet Civil Air Patrol Squadron were on the airport's tarmac, preparing to gather an American flag that was about to be dropped as part of a tandem skydiving jump.

Connell crashed right before the skydivers were about to jump. Members of the Civil Air Patrol unit were only about 200 yards from the crash.

Flags at PDK airport are at half staff to honor the pilot who lost his life today. pic.twitter.com/HJ0MttGoOa

— DeKalb County, GA (@ItsInDeKalb) May 14, 2016

Reaction to the tragedy was extensive on social media, and came from many elected officials.

DeKalb County interim CEO Lee May wrote the following message on Twitter:

A tragedy occurred as Prof. Pilots entertained & educated thousands today. Our thoughts & prayers are with the family & friends of the pilot

— Lee May (@LeeMay) May 14, 2016

DeKalb Firefighters respond with Crash 15 to the plane down at #PDKGND2016 https://t.co/nZPeQfPC7M

— DeKalb Firefighters (@DCFRlocal1492) May 14, 2016

Video from the scene posted to Twitter shows the plane crashing into the ground. (Warning: The video contains graphic content)

Video of the crash at the PDK air show. #pdk #airshow https://t.co/o5lbKXwgad

— Duncan Meredith (@duncan_meredith) May 14, 2016