(Photo: Xinhua)

A US pilot was killed after his aerobatic aircraft crashed during a trial flight ahead of a local air show at an airport in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou on Wednesday, according to local authorities.

Eglin Wells, a pilot of the US Red Eagle aerobatic flight team, died in the crash after his aerobatic plane Starjammer plummeted to the ground at about 6:14 p.m. from around 100 meters above the airport runway at the Shangjie Airport, the air show organizer confirmed. The crash caused no other casualties on the ground.

An investigation into the cause of the crash is under way.

The Zhengzhou Air Show 2018 will kick off on Friday and last until May 1.