Saturday, April 07, 2018

Space Coast Regional Airport (KTIX), Titusville, Brevard County, Florida



A fireworks explosion that started a brush fire and a stuck landing gear scare were unplanned highlights of opening day at the Warbird Airshow at the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville on Friday.

Around 6:45 p.m., the climax of the show's 'Tora! Tora! Tora!' event -- a "wall of fire" dropped by replica Japanese Zeros during a re-enactment of the Pearl Harbor bombing -- sparked a grass fire that quickly spread to a nearby cache of fireworks, said Laura Kelly, airshow spokeswoman.

The fireworks were in place for a "giant" finale planned for Friday night's show.

Kelly confirmed no one was near the explosion and the crowd was not in danger as errant fireworks popped and exploded on the tarmac.



Officials from the Four Communities Fire Department said on its official Facebook page that some of the fireworks started a brush fire on the Knight's Armament property north of the airport. Crews were stymied by the presence of some unexploded fireworks near the flames, but managed to safely detonate them and extinguish the fire.

After the fireworks mishap, a pilot in one of the Zeros reported an indicator light in the cockpit was signaling a stuck landing gear. Fire rescue personnel raced to the runway as the pilot attempted to land the craft without its tail wheel, but the plane safely touched down and the pilot was unharmed.



It was "just an incredible landing," Kelly said.

The scare delayed Friday's night show, but the show did go on as planned -- without the fireworks finale.

“The night show went on tonight, and it was great,” Kelly said. “Beautiful starry sky with Matt Younkin and his Beech 18 illuminated night airplane, and the jet car went almost 390 miles per hour down the runway in the dark with all three afterburners on.”

The 2018 Space Coast Warbird Airshow continues Saturday and Sunday at the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville. Gates open at 8:30 a.m.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.floridatoday.com

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