HAMPTON, Va. — Rob Holland, a frequent performer at air shows and renowned for his innovations in stunt flight, died Thursday when his MXS-RH plane crashed while attempting to land at Langley Air Force Base.
"Just want to offer our deepest, deepest condolences to the family, the friends. All who loved and respected him," base commander Col. Matt Altman said Thursday evening speaking to reporters.
While details of the crash were unknown Thursday, Altman said the plane crashed on final approach as it was arriving to the base.
The base did not identify the person killed, but a post on the official Facebook page for pilot Rob Holland announced it was Holland’s plane that crashed and that Holland died.
“[I'd] like to offer my thanks to our first responders who responded quickly to the scene, secured the aircraft, and thanks to the local community partners and fire and medical services who offered their support," said Altman.
Holland was slated to perform his aerial acrobatics again at the Air Power Over Hampton Roads Air Show April 26-27. He last performed at the 2023 Langley show, and performed regularly at the NAS Oceana Air Show.
Holland was heavily decorated in the stunt flight space, earning 12 consecutive U.S. National Aerobatic Championships, five world Freestyle Aerobatic Championships, and the International Council of Airshows (ICAS) prestigious Art Scholl Award for Showmanship — the highest honor any airshow pilot can receive, according to a bio page on his website.
Watch: Langley Air Show makes return after 4-year hiatus
With more than two decades of flight experience, Holland amassed more than 15,000 hours in 180 types of aircraft, according to the bio.
"One of my goals is to take aerobatics to the next level," he said. "I want to push the limits of what can be done."
Flight tracking website FlightAware shows Holland left Nashville, Tennessee Thursday morning and headed for the base in Hampton.
Watch: USAF Thunderbirds arrive ahead of Langley Air Show
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.
As for the air show, as of Thursday it was still on, but some changes to it could be on the horizon.
Altman said while losing Holland is difficult, he's grateful for those who responded to the tragedy.
“[I'd] Like to offer my thanks to our first responders who responded quickly to the scene, secured the aircraft, and thanks to the local community partners and fire and medical services who offered their support," Altman said.
The MXS-RH plane
Holland performed in the MXS-RH, a single-pilot, all carbon fiber plane built by Australian manufacturer MX Aircraft.
It boasts a Lycoming engine with 380 horsepower and weighs around 1200 pounds, according to Holland's website.
Designed for aerial acrobatics, the plane can pull 16 positive and negative Gs, and roll at nearly 500 degrees per second, according to Holland's site.
The plane is around 21 feet long with a wingspan of 24 feet and a height around 6 feet, according to MX's website specs. Its top speed is 230 knots, or around 264 mph.
The crash
Just after noon Thursday, WTKR News 3 received a tip about a crash at Langley AFB.
At 11:31, the tracker's altitude and speed meters quickly dropped to zero. This prompted unconfirmed reports of Holland's death to unfold across social media, particularly on X.
Watch: JBLE Commander discuss plane crash
Condolences from the aviation community quickly poured in to remember Holland once the post was made on his Facebook page.
The National Transportation Safety Board was expected to be at the base Friday to begin investigating the incident. The agency said the investigation's findings will be shared when available.
