K.R.N.V
Two pilots died in a collision at the National Championship Air Race and Air Show in Reno, Nevada on Sunday, September 17.
CNN
—
Two pilots were killed when their planes collided Sunday during the National Championship Air Race and Air Show in Reno, Nevada. said.
“Today at 2:15 p.m., at the end of the T-6 Gold Race, two planes collided during 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, Nick Massey and Chris Rushing.
“Both accomplished pilots and gold winners in the T-6 class, Massey piloted the Six-Cat and the Rushing Baron’s Revenge,” the updated statement said. “The families of both pilots have been notified and support services are onsite as they deal with this tragedy.”
No other injuries were reported, it added.
Organizers said the rest of the matches were cancelled.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement to CNN that it is investigating the cause of the crash. The agency leading the investigation identified the two aircraft as a North American T-6G and a North American AT-6B and said they were out of the race.
“The wreckage of each plane rested about a mile and a half apart,” the NTSP said, adding that the wreckage would be taken to an off-site facility for examination.
Event organizers said the NTSB, the Federal Aviation Administration and “all local authorities are working to determine the cause of the accident and ensure all of our pilots, spectators and volunteers receive the support they need at this time.”
The event, which has been running for more than five decades, prides itself on being “the institution for aviation enthusiasts in Northern Nevada and around the world.” Website. Over the past decade, the event has brought in more than a million visitors and “generated more than $750 million” for the regional economy, according to the site.
This is not the first fatal accident at the event. A pilot He was killed last year In a plane crash During the race and in 2011, 11 people were killed More than 60 people were injured when the plane lost control and crashed into spectators.
