The accident happened at about 2:00 pm (2330 IST) yesterday at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor in the scenic Hudson Valley, on the eve of the New York Air Show.
"It appeared the aircraft had experienced a structural failure," a New York State Police spokesman told AFP.
The show, scheduled today and tomorrow at Stewart, is to feature demonstrations from civilian and military performers, including by Navy SEAL Leap Frogs, a parachute team.