He was a stuntman in “Top Gun”. The last thing he said was “I have a problem.” A moment later he died

In 1986, “Top Gun”, directed by Tony Scott and starring in one of the main roles, debuted on cinema screens around the world. The production was a huge box office success, earning over $350 million, and its creators won many prestigious awards, including: and Golden Globe. However, few people know that its creation cost someone’s life, as a man died on the set. How did this happen?

This was his next role in a movie. He didn’t expect this would be the end

The plot focuses on students of an elite aviation unit who compete with each other for the title of the best pilot. Therefore, many scenes using planes in the air were shot for the film. The participants were not the main actors, but professional stuntmen, including the famous pilot Art Scholl.

By then he already had considerable experience in aviation. He successfully ran his own school and aircraft rental company, and after 18 years of practice he became an aerobatic pilot. He has made many commercials, television programs and films, including: “The Great Waldo Pepper”, “Where the Buffalo Roam” and “Prime Risk”. Eventually he found himself on the set of Tony Scott’s then new film. However, not everything went according to plan.

A stuntman died on the set of “Top Gun”. How the accident occured?

Initially, there was no sign of trouble. Art Scholl shot several scenes and the director was pleased with his work. On September 16, 1985, he appeared on the set again to take shots of the so-called rotated flat rotation, or in other words, upside down rotation. He soared up in Art Pitts’ SA plane, but soon realized something was wrong. He unexpectedly lost control of the machine. He was constantly connected to the tower, and his last words were “I have a problem.” The plane began to fall rapidly, which was observed by pilot Chuck Wentworth and mechanic Kevin Kammer from another plane. Unfortunately they were unable to do anything. Scholl crashed in the Pacific Ocean. His body was never found.

An investigation was launched to determine what caused the accident. The lack of access to the wreck, as only remains were found, made this process more difficult. However, it was certainly not the result of pilot error. Probably the camera attached to the plane to take landscape photos was too heavy in relation to the weight of the machine, which turned out to be true only during the maneuver. The filmmakers couldn’t come to terms with what had happened. The final scene of “Top Gun” included a commemoration of Art Scholl.