CAA: GA News, "Stunt Plane Crash Kills Couple"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@cwnet.com>]

Sunday, May 28, 2000

Stunt Plane Crash Kills Couple


BUNNELL, Fla. (AP) -- Two planes piloted by a husband-and-wife aerobatic
team collided Saturday as the couple practiced a maneuver that was part of
their air show.

Daniel Heligoin, 68, and Montaine Mallet, 52, were killed after the planes
crashed to the ground. They had been practicing a stunt in which both planes
fly straight up, stall their engine, begin falling in unison and then make a
last-second recovery.

But one of their CAP 10 airplanes clipped the other at about 10:45 a.m.,
bringing both crashing to the ground at Flagler County Airport, authorities
said.

Witness Joanna Chambers said she saw the wing of one plane hit the other.

``At first I just thought it was some trick where one plane goes around the
other,'' she said. ``There was no explosion, just pieces.''

The airport, about 30 miles northwest of Daytona Beach, has two runways and
no control tower. Pilots are expected to communicate with each other to
arrange landings and takeoffs.

Mallet and Heligoin, both natives of France, called their routine The French
Connection Airshow, which included close-formation aerobatics, such as loops
and rolls, performed in unison.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety
Board were investigating the crash.


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