Gender Reveal in Mexico Ends With Tragic Plane Crash, Pilot Death

A gender reveal in San Pedro, Sinaloa ended with the tragic death of a pilot performing an aviation stunt during the event.

As shown in videos of the tragedy, 32-year-old pilot Luis Ángel N from La Palma, Navolato was killed in a plane crash while taking part in the gender reveal. As the man dumped pink smoke on the expecting couple, he lost control of the plane.

The video shows that the couple most likely didn’t immediately notice the crash took place. As it occurred, they continued to celebrate the news of their baby girl.

Now, droves of people are fiercely reacting to the news. As one X user wondered, “At what point do we decide aviation-based gender reveals aren’t a good idea?”

It’s worth mentioning other times gender reveals have come under fire.

One example is the September 2020 San Bernardino, California gender reveal that allegedly sparked a wildfire. The reveal’s smoke bomb reportedly led to the destruction of five homes and the death of a firefighter. Similarly, in April 2017, a gender reveal explosion famously ignited a 47,000-acre wildfire.

Even more similar to the latest gender reveal tragedy? An April 2021 gender reveal in Cancun, Mexico that also used a smoke-emitting plane, leading to two deaths.

As another X user wrote, “These damn gender reveals [are] costing people their lives. People are taking trends way too far.”

What to know about the San Pedro gender reveal that ended in a deadly plane crash

A video of the tragic event shows how the San Pedro couple held hands while awaiting the plane, and with it, their special reveal.

As per Línea Directa, the party took place in an hacienda in La Laguna de San Pedro, Navolato within Sinaloa.

The shocking clip shows show the couple stands in front of a large sign that reads, “Oh Baby,” decorated with balloons. Loved ones begin screaming in excitement as the plane approaches, which will either blow out pink or blue smoke. However, once it dumps pink smoke on the guests, you can see how the plane spirals and crashes.

Some news outlets report that one of the plane’s wings broke, possibly causing the incident.

Other videos show the moment guests seemed to notice the tragedy that took place:

Meanwhile, another video from onlookers not at the party shows another angle of the crash:

As per the Aviation Safety Network, pilot Luis Ángel N was flying a Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee at the time. They report that the accident occurred after the plane’s left-hand wing failed, following the release of the pink smoke.

Línea Directa reports that the party guests called rescue services after the crash. They shared the pilot was stuck inside the plane.

CNN spoke to Alan Francisco Rangel, a coordinator from Sinaloa’s Cruz Roja. Rangel told the outlet that the paramedics assisted Luis Ángel N on the scene, transporting him to a local hospital.

“He died in Navolato’s Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social hospital,” Rangel added.

After the tragedy, many people call for “banning” these parties

The latest tragic gender reveal is making many people rethink the entire concept. As one X user put it, these parties “are actually out of control”:

Another user believes people should just turn it down a notch… or many notches. They wrote, “People need to stop doing all this for gender reveals”:

Many people are wondering why these parties exist altogether. One person wrote that gender reveals should be “regulated” or even “banned”:

Others are harkening back to simpler times, when gender reveals didn’t exist. One X user wrote about their own “gender reveal” for their son: “We were in the doctor’s office and she said, ‘It’s a boy.’ We were happy… No airplanes, confetti, or colored smoke”:

Others wonder if these kinds of elaborate gender reveals are “a byproduct of Instagram culture,” and well… they might have a point:

Meanwhile, others don’t have an issue with gender reveals in general, just ones that compromise others’ safety. One X user wonders why we can’t “just make gender reveals as simple as possible.” One example? Well, it’s a pretty great idea: