UPDATE: New reports indicate the pilot who crashed was NOT hired by Eagles fans. READ MORE HERE. Original article appears below.



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The pilot hired by Eagles fans to fly a banner over Dallas Cowboys practice has been killed in a plane crash, according to a report from NBC Los Angeles. More details:

"One person was killed Sunday when a single-engine plane crashed and burned during takeoff at Compton-Woodley Airport.



The plane, towing a banner, crashed at about 12:30 p.m. on a runway at the county-owned airport in the 900 block of West Alondra Boulevard, about two miles southwest of Compton's central business district. Images from the scene showed the plane on fire, sending thick smoke over the airport."

This is obviously terrible news. What was meant to be a prank turned into a deadly disaster.

Here's reaction from the Eagles fan who organized the plane:

There will be no plane today. There has been an accident at the airport. I can't get into details right now. They just called — EROCK (@TheMightyEROCK) August 9, 2015

Guys...I don't know how to say this. Right now I'm weak in the knees, give me some time to work this out. There will be no plane. — EROCK (@TheMightyEROCK) August 9, 2015

You guys should hear from me. It's was my thing. http://t.co/zfZOZHuYem — EROCK (@TheMightyEROCK) August 9, 2015

I'll find the pilots name. Whatever money was raised will go to his family. I'm going to step away for a while....beyond devastated. — EROCK (@TheMightyEROCK) August 9, 2015

Earlier on Sunday, a pilot hired by Cowboys fans (and Greg Hardy) flew a banner over the Eagles' practice during the National Anthem. That pilot was hired after Eagles fans originally came up with the idea to mess with Cowboys fans.

UPDATE:

It looks it's possible the pilot was not the one hired by Eagles fans. Per the LA Times:

"Enkone Goodlow, an artist who rents a hangar at the airport, said he and some spectators had watched the pilot repeatedly try to hook a Bud Light banner. The banner was tied to a mastpole on the ground and the pilot would fly by and try to snare it with a grappling hook dangling from the plane before pulling up."

UPDATE #2:

An update from the Eagles fan: