'He looked like a falling dummy': Horrified air show spectators describe moment daredevil fell 200ft to his death while trying to climb from plane on to helicopter



Todd Green dies at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison, Michigan

Veteran stunt wing walker loses grip whilst balancing on plane wing

Witnesses thought it may have been joke or dummy falling from aircraft

Stuntman for 25 years and son of aerial stuntman Eddie 'The Grip' Green



Family say he was doing what he loved and 'following in father's footsteps'



A wing walker plunged 200ft feet to his death when his air show stunt went disastrously wrong - but tragically many in the crowd thought his fall was part of the act.

As these terrifying pictures show, Todd Green, 48, had been attempting to grab on to a helicopter hovering above a bi-plane as part of a death-defying stunt.

But as he reached for the metal landing skid on the helicopter he slipped and fell to his death.

Many in the 75,000 crowd at the air show in Selfridge, near Detroit, Michigan, thought the fall was part of the show and that a dummy had been thrown to the ground.

It was only when emergency crews rushed out to the stricken wing walker that they realised it was an accident.

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Horror: Todd Green falls 200ft to his death after losing his grip while performing a stunt at an air show at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, Michigan

Grip: Mr Green reaches out towards the helicopter during his performance at the air show, but is unable to hold on Officials said Green, a father of two, had tried to grab hold of the helicopter from a Stearman aircraft at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, in Harrison Township, on two occasions, and slipped as he made a third attempt.

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Next Stunt pilot killed in fiery air show crash after plane... Was Red Arrow hero downed by a bird?: Investigations... Share this article Share An ambulance took him to Mount Clemens Regional Medical Center, but he died from his injuries. 'I thought it was part of the stunt,' said spectator Jeremy Mitchell.

'Even when the announcer said it wasn't a part of the show, it still felt surreal. It wasn't until the ambulance came that it set in.' Photographer Ed Goodfellow was at the event and said Mr Green looked like a mannequin as he fell. He told the Windsor Star: ' Sometimes a dummy can be thrown from an aeroplane during air shows to create the impression that something has gone wrong as a joke.'

And witness Arnold Sese told ABC News: ' It looked like a dummy falling to the ground. But when the emergency crews started rushing to the runway everyone knew it wasn't part of the stunt.' Jennifer Bradley, of Linden, was at the show with her sons, aged seven and 11, and said: 'There were lots of tears. We sat and prayed together.' Slipped: The stuntman falls behind the plane as his attempt goes disastrously wrong. He was rushed to hospital, but died of his injuries

Dad: Todd Green leaves behind a wife, son and stepson following the tragic incident on Sunday

'It looked like a dummy falling to the ground. But when the emergency crews started rushing to the runway everyone knew it wasn't part of the stunt'

Arnold Sese, witness

Only moments before Mr Green fell, the show announcer reportedly told spectators that winds were causing problems and reminded them how dangerous the manoeuvres were.

John Cudhay, president of the International Council of Air Shows, told ClickOnDetroit that this type of act was 'one of the ones we would least expect to see this kind of problem with'.

U.S. Representative Candice Miller was also watching when Mr Green fell. The Republican, who lives in Harrison Township, said she had watched the stuntman perform on the day before as well.

'It was very surreal,' she said. 'It takes a moment to get your mind around what just happened. I know he was a big part of this show, a lot of people came just to see him.'

Mr Green had reportedly been performing aerial stunts for more than 25 years.

Witnesses expressed surprise that Mr Green did not have a parachute, but even if he had it may not have opened in time as he was only 200ft above the ground.

Entertainment: Mr Green waves to the crowd as he climbs on to the top of the Stearman plane during the air show

Daredevil: Mr Green holds on to the wing of the plane untethered as the helicopter pilot flies closer 'It was very surreal. It takes a moment to get your mind around what just happened. I know he was a big part of this show, a lot of people came just to see him' U.S. Representative Candice Miller

Mr Green was the son of legendary American aerial stuntman Eddie 'The Grip' Green, and had performed the helicopter transfer stunt several times.

a fellow stuntman said: 'Todd was extremely good at what he did and logged many hours doing stunts. 'He was one of the best in the business. He was very proud of his legacy and his family's legacy.' The Silver Wings Wingwalking Team website states: 'During his 45-year career as a stuntman, Eddie performed with pilots Harold Krier, Bill Barber, Bob Barden and Jimmy Franklin.’ It added that Todd Green 'continues the tradition his father founded'.

Reaching out: Mr Green makes a second attempt to grab the helicopter, but he lost his grip and fell as thousands of spectators watched

'He was doing something he loved. I am sure he would rather die no other way. He was following in his father's footsteps. He had been doing this kind of thing for over 25 years' Todd Green's cousin, Becky Soubeyrand



Mr Green's death was the second air show tragedy in the U.S. Stunt pilot Bryan Jensen was killed after his biplane spiralled into the ground at an air show in Kansas City.

In Great Britain, Red Arrows pilot John Egging was killed after his aircraft crashed following an air show in Bournemouth last week.



Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which hosted the show, is working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the tragedy.



Mr Green is survived by his wife Dawn, son Tyler and stepson Derrick.

Mr Green's cousin Becky Eversole Soubeyrand told ABC News: 'He was doing something he loved. I am sure he would rather die no other way.



'He was following in his father's footsteps. He had been doing this kind of thing for over 25 years.'

Stuntman falls to his death