Two pilots were killed on Sunday when their aircraft collided in mid-air during an airshow in the U.S. state of Nevada, as reported by local media.
Two pilots were killed when their planes collided on Sunday during the National Championship Air Races and Airshow in Reno, Nevada, event organizers said. “At approximately 2:15 p.m. this afternoon during the T-6 Gold race, two airplanes were involved in an incident near the conclusion of the race, and it was later confirmed that both pilots died,” the Reno Air Racing Association said in a statement posted on Facebook.
In a later statement, organizers identified the two pilots as Nick Macy and Chris Rushing. “Both are expert pilots and both are past T-6 Gold race champions, with Macy flying Six-Cat and Rushing flying Baron’s Revenge,” the updated statement said. “The families of both pilots have been notified, and onsite support is being offered to address this tragedy.”
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement sent to CNN that it was investigating the cause of the accident. The agency, leading the probe, identified the two planes as a North American T-6G and a North American AT-6B, stating that they had just finished the race. “Debris from each aircraft came to rest about a half-mile apart,” the NTSB said, adding that debris would be transported to an off-site facility for examination.
Event organizers said they were cooperating with the NTSB, the Federal Aviation Administration, and “all local authorities to determine the cause of the accident and to ensure that all of our pilots, spectators, and volunteers have the support they need during this time.”
