In front of a crowd of spectators, a display of airplane acrobatics ended in tragedy when an aircraft crashed to the ground.
The pilot was identified as Kevin Whyman, 39, who was flying a Folland Gnat aircraft that came down near the event at Oulton Park at about 2 p.m. BST.
The Press Association of UK said the plane nose-dived during a display and crashed at Oulton Park on Saturday. The pilot of the plane has died, said CarFest founder and BBC presenter Chris Evans in televised comments.
Posting to Twitter just moments after the crash, CarFest said: “We are sad to announce there has been a serious air incident off site at CarFest North. The emergency services are in attendance.”
Some festival goers caught photos of the plane that crashed and wished for the pilot’s safety.
BBC presenter Chris Evans, CarFest’s founder, confirmed his death and said the pilot’s family had been informed.
According to a BBC report, Evans was visibly shaken when he made a statement that the pilot had been killed in a “tragic accident.”
“Our condolences go out to his family, who have been informed,” Evans told reporters. Whyman is survived by his wife and young daughter.
“The police have also advised us that the best thing, and the safest thing to do, is to carry on with the event — bearing in mind there are 10,000 children here. That’s what we’re going to do,” Evans said, according to CNN.
CarFest organizers are working with authorities and using footage captured by spectators at the event in their investigation.
CarFest combines “cars, music, food and masses of family fun,” according to the festival’s website. The event takes place in Cheshire and Hampshire and raises money for BBC Children in Need.
The Heritage Aircraft Trust, operator of the Gnat Display Team, said in a statement: “Kevin was a Royal Air Force-trained fast jet pilot whose enthusiasm for flying the Folland Gnat was infectious.”
“He will be greatly missed by his family, the team and many friends.”
According to a BBC report, Whyman was born in Chester and a Cambridge University economics graduate. He had a career with the Royal Air Force from 1998 to 2001 and then worked trader job with a US investment bank in London.
Whyman had gotten a civilian flying license so that he could continue with his passion for flying.
