The "Top Gun: Maverick" star paid tribute to Charles Thomas "Chuck" Coleman -- who was the flight instructor for Teller and the cast of the 2022 action film -- after he died in a plane crash in Las Cruces, N.M., on Oct. 20. He was 61.
"RIP Chuck Coleman," Teller wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Oct. 21 alongside several photos of the two. "Chuck was our aerobatics flight instructor and instrumental in our preparation for "Top Gun: Maverick.""
Teller added that Coleman was "an aerospace engineer, air show and test pilot, and our friend and ally."
"Chuck had a very easy going way about him and we always felt comfortable with his expertise at our disposal," he continued. "He was kind, humble and curious about others and the world we live in. Gone too soon but his contributions will live on forever. Thanks for the memories, Chuck."
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Coleman was the only person onboard his single-engine Extra Flugzeugbau 300/L plane when it crashed during a performance at the Las Cruces Air and Space Expo, according to Las Cruces city officials and the Federal Aviation Administration, via the New York Times. The show included aerobatic performances and helicopters, as well as airplanes.
"Unfortunately, we had a tragic ending to our Air and Space Expo this weekend," Las Cruces mayor Eric Enriquez said in a statement posted to the city's Facebook account Oct. 21. "We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones and fans of Chuck Coleman."
The city of Las Cruces confirmed that his accident is being investigated by New Mexico State Police, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Before training the cast of "Top Gun: Maverick," Coleman's website noted that he "flew 140 flights in order to prepare the actors to fly in Navy F-18 Hornets." Coleman also worked on the 2004 documentaries "Black Sky: The Race for Space" and "Black Sky: Winning the X Prize", as well as performing stunts for 2002's "The Round and Round."
His website also stated that Coleman had "over 10,000 hours total flight time" and that he had "performed in hundreds of airshows and given over 3,000 rides in aerobatic aircraft."