Veteran air show performer and AirVenture participant Kirby
Chambliss is reportedly fine after experiencing a forced landing Wednesday,
January 23, while practicing in his Zivko Edge 540 for a performance in this
weekend's Illopango, El Salvador Airshow.
Fellow performer Skip Stewart posted the following update to his Facebook page to help verify what happened:
"There is a lot of false information about Kirby out
there. I was flying off his wing practicing a dual routine when it happened. So
this is the correct information. We were flying a formation high alpha pass. At
the end of the runway Kirby's engine quit. There was nowhere to land. He
descended into a rocky ravine and crashed onto the side of a steep embankment.
Kirby Chambliss.com by Sam Myers
"I was watching him the whole way. The plane crashed into small trees and flipped over. The airplane was badly damaged, but Kirby extracted himself and walked to a clearing. I had immediately called for the rescue helicopter and they were there very quickly. A testament to the readiness of the El Salvadorian military. Kirby is fine with superficial scrapes and bruises."
In an earlier post, Stewart wrote, "Kirby Chambliss is alive and well with only bumps and bruises after forced landing at the Illopango El Salvador Airshow. The airplane is a total loss." - from EAA