Retired Air Force Captain, 35, Dies in Midair Collision at Competition

A 35-year-old retired Air Force captain died in a midair collision late last month during an event in Colorado honoring a pilot who had died the year before, officials said. 

On Sunday, Aug. 31, Kristen Morris was in a plane during a competition at the 2025 Kyle Scott Aerobatic Dust-up in Fort Morgan when the fatal crash occurred between an Extra aircraft and a Cessna, both of which had two people on board, the International Aerobatic Club (IAC) said in a statement.

“We are grieved to report that IAC Competitor Kristen Morris passed away in the accident,” the organization said. 

Around 10:44 a.m. local time that morning, authorities received an alert that the two planes had collided at Fort Morgan Municipal Airport, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office said.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the small Cessna was on its final approach to the runway when it was hit mid-air by the second plane. Both planes crashed to the ground and caught fire, officials said.

The two occupants of the Cessna only had minor injuries and were released at the scene. One person in the other aircraft, later identified by the IAC as David Shangraw, was transported to a local hospital. 

“IAC Competitor David Shangraw is hospitalized but expected to recover,” the organization said.

The final passenger, later identified by authorities as Morris, was pronounced dead at the scene. It is not clear who was piloting both planes at the time of the incident. 

The National Transportation Safety Board confirms to PEOPLE that a Cessna 172 airplane and an Extra EA 300 collided midair while approaching the airport, with a preliminary report expected within 30 days of the accident. A final report can take one to two years to complete. 

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and Morgan County Coroner’s Office did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for further comment.

Morris was a veteran C-130J pilot of the U.S. Air Force and a first officer at SkyWest Airlines, according to her LinkedIn page and profile for the U.S. Department of Defense Warrior Games, an annual event in which wounded, ill and injured athletes compete in adaptive sports events.

Shangraw, the 39-year-old man on Morris’ plane, is a flight instructor and licensed pilot, CBS News reported. The airport has no control tower and, like many small airports, pilots are expected to track the location of other planes and use a designated radio frequency to communicate with each other, the outlet reported.

The competition the pair was attending was an annual aerobatic contest, formerly known as the High Plains Hotpoxia. It was renamed after Kyle Scott, a 52-year-old pilot from the area, died in a plane crash while crop dusting a field near Brush, Colo. on Sept. 5, 2024, CBS News, NBC affiliate KUSA and FOX affiliate KDVR reported. 

Now, the aviation community is mourning another experienced pilot. Morris, who lived in Denver, was a beloved former Air Force captain, her friends told ABC affiliate KMGH. 

“She knew the risk she was taking with the passions that she had, especially when it came to flying,” her friend Rhoda Bargas told the outlet. 

The veteran pilot was also an accomplished Air Force Wounded Warriors athlete and swim coach, KUSA reported.

“We took home a lot more medals than we thought we were going to, and I think that’s due to her,” Michael Nalley, captain of the 2025 Warrior Games, told the outlet. “She had that power to build on positive energy. It never hurts to say words of kindness and check on people, and I think she was amazing at doing that.” 

According to Morris’ Warrior Games profile, she had reconstructive surgery done on her right and left hips. In an interview with the military organization, Morris credited her husband, Jason, for helping in her recovery.

“I had done most of the legwork with the help of my husband, and I had gotten to that point,” said Morris in 2019. “So, I could help the people that I saw that weren’t quite to that level.”

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After her death, her loved ones are remembering her generous spirit and her love for being in the air.

“All we can do at this point is just live by her example,” said friend Melanie Presuto in an emotional interview with KUSA. “She was a beautiful example of what is good in the world.”