In a tragic turn of events, two pilots lost their lives during the National Championship Air Races and Air Show in Reno, Nevada, following a mid-air collision of their planes.
The distressing incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. last Sunday, just as the T-6 Gold race was concluding. On their approach for landing, the two planes tragically collided. The Reno Air Racing Association confirmed in their statement the unfortunate demise of both the pilots involved.
The pilots were later identified as Nick Macy and Chris Rushing by the race organizers. Both pilots, highly skilled and acknowledged as Gold winners in the T-6 Class, flew under the call signs of Six-Cat and Baron’s Revenge respectively. The families of the deceased pilots have been duly notified and are receiving support services to cope with the devastating incident.
The organizers also confirmed that there were no other reported injuries from the mishap. However, the remaining races were promptly canceled in the wake of the tragedy.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the leading agency investigating this incident, stated to CNN that the crashed aircraft were identified as a North American T-6G and North American AT-6B, which had just completed the race. The wreckages of both planes, discovered half a mile apart, will be transported to an off-site facility for further analysis.
The event organizers have pledged full cooperation with the NTSB, the Federal Aviation Administration, and local authorities in identifying the cause of the accident and providing necessary support to all pilots, spectators, and volunteers during this difficult time.
The National Championship Air Races and Air Show, a revered institution for northern Nevada and aviation enthusiasts worldwide, has been a remarkable event for over five decades. It has attracted more than a million spectators in the past decade and has contributed over $750 million to the regional economy.
Regrettably, this is not the first fatal crash witnessed at the event. Last year, a pilot was killed in a crash during a race. Furthermore, in 2011, a tragic crash killed 11 people and injured over 60 others when a plane lost control and crashed into the spectators.
