Aerobatic legend Rob Holland dies in accident
Approaching landing at Langley Air Force Base
Renowned airshow pilot and aerobatic competitor Rob Holland died when his single-seat MX Aircraft MXS aircraft crashed while on approach at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia.
Holland’s Instagram page confirmed his death. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I am sharing that Rob Holland lost his life today, 24 April 2025, in an accident at Langley AFB, VA. The cause of the crash is not known at this time and is under investigation by the FAA, NTSB and DOD,” the message reads.
A base spokesperson confirmed that a crash occurred but could not provide details. ADS-B data showed Holland’s aircraft flying from Smyrna Airport in Smyrna, Tennessee, and arriving at Langley just after 11:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Holland was the 2008 World Advanced Aerobatic Champion, a 10-time U.S. Aerobatic Team member, and 14-time U.S. 4-minute Freestyle Champion, according to his website, which also described him earning his private pilot certificate as a teenager. He developed his aerobatic skills while building time towing banners, ferrying aircraft, and as a corporate pilot and flight instructor, the site said.
In a 2011 profile in Sport Aerobatics magazine, Holland described how a chance meeting with the owner of a Steen Skybolt at Boire Field in Nashua, New Hampshire, led to his first inverted flight experience and kicked off his aerobatics career.
Flying the MXS-RH, an all-carbon-fiber single-seat airplane designed and built by MX Aircraft specifically for aerobatic competition, Holland performed airshows across North America, and was a staple at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo, and other events.
According to his Instagram account, “Rob was one of the most respected and inspiring aerobatic pilots in aviation history. Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday.”
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