A light aircraft pilot died in Mexico when he was performing a stunt during a gender reveal party. The fatal crash occurred in San Pedro, Sinaloa State, on Sunday, just as a local couple was preparing to receive news on their baby’s gender.
Images from the scene, captured by revelers, promptly went viral online. The video shows the couple, standing by an installation with a sign reading “Oh baby,” with a Piper PA-25 approaching at a very low altitude. The plane released a cloud of pink smoke over the couple, signaling they were having a girl, with the onlookers cheering as the would-be parents hugged.
The aircraft pulled upwards hard after releasing the smoke, apparently losing its structural integrity with its left wing snapping and hitting the plane’s body. The crop duster crashed moments later, with the gender reveal party apparently continuing to celebrate without realizing the aircraft was destroyed, video shows.
The pilot, identified by local media as 32-year-old Luis Angel, was trapped in the mangled wreck of the plane. The pilot was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries shortly after the crash.
Gender reveal parties became popular in the US in the 2010s, spreading worldwide since then. The parties, which commonly involve fireworks and assorted extravagant stunts, have repeatedly resulted in various incidents, ranging from property damage and wildfires to major explosions with fatalities.