Reno Air Race crash: Two pilots killed in collision at T-6 Gold Race conclusion

CNN
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Two pilots were killed when their plane collided Sunday during the National Championship Air Racing and Air Show in Reno, Nevada, event organizers said. He said.

“At approximately 2:15 p.m. today, at the conclusion of the T-6 Gold race, upon landing, two planes collided and both pilots were confirmed dead,” the Reno Air Racing Association said in a statement posted on Facebook. .

In a later statement by the organizers It has been identified Pilots like Nick Macy and Chris Rushing.

“Both skilled pilots and gold medal winners in the T-6 class, Messi flew the Six-Cat and Rushing flew the Baron’s Revenge,” the updated statement read. “The Airmen’s families and support services have been notified on site and are dealing with this tragedy.”

She added that no other injuries were reported.

Organizers said the rest of the races were cancelled.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement sent to CNN that it is investigating the cause of the accident. The agency leading the investigation identified the planes as North American T-6G and North American AT-6B, and said they had just completed the race.

“The wreckage of each aircraft came to rest within a half-mile of each other,” the NTSB said, adding that the wreckage will be transported to an off-site facility for analysis.

Event organizers said they are cooperating with the NTSB, the Federal Aviation Administration and “all local authorities to determine the cause of the accident and ensure all of our pilots, spectators and volunteers have the necessary support during this time.”

The event, which has been running for more than five decades, prides itself on being “an institution for Northern Nevada and aviation enthusiasts from around the world,” according to its statement. website. Over the past decade, the event has attracted more than a million spectators and “generated more than $750 million” for the regional economy, according to the website.

This is not the first fatal accident at the event. Last year, a pilot was killed in a plane crash during a race, and in 2011, 11 people were killed and more than 60 injured when a plane went out of control and crashed into spectators.