Footage taken by onlookers on the beaches of Tortoreto on Italy’s Adriatic coast, caught the horrific moment on camera.
The two planes were performing a stunt over the beach, both flying close together with one inverted.
When the upside-down plane attempted to right itself it careered into the path of the other before plummeting into the sea.
The pilot of other plane, Luigi Wilmo Franceschetti, 43, managed to make an emergency landing and was hospitalised with minor injuries (see video below).
The body of the other was found under the fuselage of his plane around 2km off the coast. He has been named as Marco Ricci, 47.
Both pilots were part of the 'Goodfellas' amateur team and were to take part in the Frecce Tricolori airshow which was cancelled because of the tragedy.