Jet crashes at air show, one pilot dead

The missing pilot was confirmed dead after an aircraft crashed Friday morning during an air show in Pucheng county of Northwest China.

The announcement was made by Jin Qiansheng, an official with the Yanliang National Aviation Hi-tech Industrial Base, before a one-minute silent tribute during the International General Aviation Convention in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province.

A jet crashes in a ball of fire at the China International General Aviation Convention in Pucheng, Northwest China’s Shaanxi province on Oct 14, 2011.[Photo/CNTV.com.cn]

Only one of the two pilots on board parachuted out when the jet lost control in the air and plunged to the ground at 10:47 am, said a spokesperson from the committee of the China International General Aviation Convention at a press conference at 3:00 pm on Friday.

Roughly 100 rescue workers have been searching for the missing pilot at the crash site, a marshland about 1.5 kilometers from the spectator area, he added.

No one in the spectator area was injured, and the air show continued despite the accident.

China Central Television (CCTV) recorded the course of the crash. The video footage(in Chinese) showed the jet falling from a height of around 500 meters straight down and exploding.

A CCTV reporter says the pilot who jumped before the crash did not fully open his parachute.

The fighter jet FBC-1, also known as a Flying Leopard, was manufactured by the Xi'an Aircraft Industry Corp.

The three-day air show, which opened on Friday, is part of the China International General Aviation Convention being held in Xi'an, capital city of Shaanxi.