Fatal midair crash at Colorado event honoring deceased pilot

A tragic midair collision occurred between aircraft during an aerial acrobatics event last week. The competition was renamed in memory of a pilot who had died a year earlier in a nearby crash while crop dusting. The news of the August 31st crash was particularly devastating for the flying community, especially for those who knew Kristen Morris, a 35-year-old pilot who lost her life in the collision. Morris was flying an Extra E300 sport plane that had just completed a flight during the competition, organized by the International Aerobatic Club (IAC). Flight maps indicate that the E300 was returning to land on runway 14R at the Fort Morgan Municipal Airport after circling the airport twice. Tragically, the Extra collided with a Cessna 172 just short of the runway, leading to both aircraft catching fire. Morris, who was a first officer with Skywest Airlines and a former C-130 pilot with the Air Force, was fatally injured in the crash. Another person on board Morris's plane was identified as David Shangraw, who was hospitalized after the incident. Shangraw, a licensed pilot and flight instructor, is also from Washington. The circumstances of the collision, specifically who was piloting the E300 at the time, remain unknown. Fortunately, the two individuals aboard the Cessna sustained only minor injuries. The IAC expressed deep sorrow over the collision and pledged to aid in the investigation. The NTSB is currently conducting a thorough investigation, which is anticipated to take about a year to complete.