Air show plane crash: Pilot dies at Old Rhinebeck Airfield in World War I replica in upstate New York

RED HOOK, New York — A replica of a World War I-era fighter plane caught fire and crashed during an air show in upstate New York, killing the pilot, police say.

Brian Coughlin, 60, died Saturday after the Fokker D.VIII replica crashed during a display at Old Rhinebeck Airfield, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Manhattan, according to a police department statement. from Red Hook.

Police said it appeared the engine caught fire due to unknown mechanical problems, causing the plane to crash.

Coughlin, of Cazenovia in central New York, was the only person on board the plane and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Old Rhinebeck Airfield, which hosts vintage aviation shows on weekends, said on social media that Coughlin was a longtime volunteer and board member.

Coughlin often flew vintage planes from a landing strip in his backyard and survived a 2005 accident involving engine failure in a replica of a World War I French plane he was piloting, according to syracuse.com .

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

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