43°
Andy Travnicek was heading north in a T-6 Texan when the plane suddenly veered to the left and crashed into the grass and caught fire at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport around 12:35 p.m.
Travnicek, the sole occupant of the air craft, was a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, a commercial airline pilot and a certified flight instructor.
The plane was part of the GEICO Skytypers Air Show Team, which flies World War II-era aircrafts.
Travnicek was set to perform in the weekend shows at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Monroe County.
During his military service, Travnicek completed deployments to Spain, Qatar, and Afghanistan. He also served as a staff member at the U. S. Air Force Academy.
The pilot is a Southbridge, Massachusetts native and had been living in Hampton, New Hampshire with his wife, Sandy, also a veteran military pilot.
The cause of the crash was under investigation.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story said that Travnicek performed in the Atlantic City Air Show. Daily Voice has learned that this was not the case.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Lower Merion-Narberth and receive free news updates.
