ELBERT COUNTY, Colo. -- The pilot of an old military aircraft is dead after his T6 crashed and burned while he was performing an acrobatic stunt.

Friends identify the pilot as Gary Miller, a pilot who has performed in air shows for about two years.

The single-engine plane went down south of Highway 86 and County Road 125 in Elbert County around 1:05 p.m. Thursday.

Witnesses told the Elbert County Sheriff's Office that the plane was performing acrobatics when it began to spiral down and was unable to recover. Witnesses say it plunged directly into the ground and immediately burst into flames, said Elbert County Investigator Mark Wilson.

"The plane's attitude on the ground is flat, something the NTSB will be looking at as they conduct their investigation into the cause of this accident" said 7NEWS aviation analyst Steve Cowell. "The plane, a North American T6, was used to train pilots primarily for World War II aerial combat. More than 17,000, in all their variants, were built during the war years and shortly afterwards. It was an advanced trainer for pilots who were perfecting their aerial combat maneuvering skills."

Cowell, who knew Miller, said the pilot had performed in air shows for the last two years and flown at the Reno Air Races each year for the last several years.

Miller was head of an organization for enthusiasts of classic and World War II planes called AirPower West. That particular plane was originally brought to Colorado in 1999 after being utilized by the South African Air Force. Miller was its second local owner.

Miller was a former developer who turned to flying for a local company to earn a living.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating. The plane was based out of Centennial Airport.