RELATED: Thunderbird pilot remains hospitalized; mishap investigation continues
The Thunderbirds No. 8 jet traveled about 300 feet off the end of a runway and flipped over in a grassy area after landing at the airport. Heavy rains hit the region before the mishap, but authorities have not speculated on the cause of the incident. An accident and safety investigation was expected to take several months.
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The Thunderbirds canceled weekend appearances at the Vectren Dayton Air Show after the accident.
The mishap injured Capt. Erik Gonsalves, the pilot and team narrator, who at last report was “improving well” and listed in stable to good condition, according to Lt. Col. Jason Heard, Thunderbirds commander. The injured pilot, who suffered lacerations and leg injuries, was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, reports said.
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A backseat passenger, Tech. Sgt. Kenneth Cordova, an aircraft maintainer, had no visible injuries and was treated and released, officials have said.
Gonsalves and Cordova were on a “familiarization flight” prior to the mishap.
On Thursday, Ohio Highway Patrol troopers escorted a caravan that flanked the flatbed trailer as it drove from the airport to the base on an estimated 45-minute road trip over freeways and state highways