KRNV
Two pilots died after a collision at the National Championship Air Races and Air Show in Reno, Nevada on Sunday, September 17.
CNN
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Two pilots were killed when their planes collided Sunday during the National Championship Air Races and Air Show in Reno, Nevada, event organizers he said.
“At approximately 2:15 p.m. this afternoon, at the conclusion of the T-6 Gold race, two aircraft collided after landing and both pilots have been confirmed dead,” the Reno Air Racing Association said in a statement posted on Facebook. .
In a later statement, the organizers identified two pilots as Nick Macy and Chris Rushing.
“Both accomplished pilots and gold holders in the T-6 class, Macy flew the Six-Cat and Rushing flew the Baron’s Revenge,” the updated statement said. “The families of both pilots have been informed and support services are in place as they deal with this tragedy.”
No other injuries were reported, he added.
The remaining races have been cancelled, organizers said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement sent to CNN that it is investigating the cause of the crash. The agency leading the probe identified the two planes as a North American T-6G and a North American AT-6B and said they had just completed a race.
“The wreckage of each aircraft came to rest half a mile apart,” the NTSB said, adding that the wreckage would be taken to an off-site facility for analysis.
Event organizers said they are working with the NTSB, the Federal Aviation Administration and “all local authorities to identify the cause of the accident and ensure that all of our pilots, spectators and volunteers have the necessary support during this time.”
This event, which has been going on for more than five decades, has its own way Website. Over the past decade, the event has drawn more than a million spectators and “generated more than $750 million” for the regional economy, according to the website.
This is not the first fatality of this event. Pilot he was killed last year in a plane crash during the race and in 2011 11 people were killed and more than 60 others injured when the plane spun out of control and crashed into spectators.
