Security camera footage from a company called "Western Elite" shows the Crash of a Mirage F1M fighter last Monday (24). The images were obtained by the channel 8 News NOW Las Vegas. The plane was operated by air combat training (Aggressor) service provider Draken International.
The supersonic jet crashed into a residential area near Nellis Air Force Base. Even ejecting, as can be seen in the video below, pilot Nicholas Hunter “Scooter” Hamilton, 43, died in the accident. The causes are being investigated.
Scooter was a married father of two with over 2500 hours of flight time in supersonic aircraft such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and T-38 Talon. One memorial fund was created by the Fallen Wings Foundation.
According to Miami Heraldin Reno, where he grew up, Hamilton's family released a statement, describing him as “a devoted and kind husband, father, son and brother” who had a black belt in taekwondo and was an accomplished violinist. "His death left a huge void in our lives and we are all shocked and heartbroken", said Aaron Damon, a spokesman for the family, in a statement to the Reno Gazette Journal.
Draken acquired multiple Dassault Mirage F1 fighters from the Spanish Air Force. In February, an ATAC Mirage F1B, another US Government contractor that provides aggressor services, crashed in Florida, with the pilots surviving after ejecting. The jets are still being incorporated into the company's fleet, which already has A-4 Skyhawk, L-159 ALCA, MB-339 and Dassault Falcon aircraft.
