2 T-6 Pilots Killed at Reno Air Races

[PHXPhlyer]

2 pilots dead in collision at National Championship Air Races in Nevada
The two planes collided upon landing at the end of the T-6 Gold race in Reno, Nevada, organizers said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/2- ... rcna105515

Two pilots were killed when their planes collided upon landing at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, on Sunday, race organizers said.

The collision happened about 2:15 p.m. at the conclusion of the event's T-6 Gold race, the Reno Air Racing Association said in a statement.

The pilots haven’t been publicly identified.

Racing was suspended as first responders and investigators descended on the scene at Reno Stead Airport, the association said.

No other deaths or injuries were reported.

That National Transportation Safety Board said it would investigate.

The T-6 class of racing pits "stock," propeller-driven North American Aviation T-6 Texan aircraft, first flown as training planes in the prewar era, in contests of speed and agility.

The annual races were held starting Wednesday and scheduled to conclude Sunday.

On Sept. 18, 2022, a jet-propelled Aero L-29 Delfín racing in a final crashed behind a residential area in Reno, killing the pilot.

In 2011, several spectators were killed when a 1940s-model plane slammed into a crowded tarmac during that year's event. Nine people, including at least seven on the ground and the pilot, were killed.

PP

[PHXPhlyer]

Pilots identified in fatal crash at National Championship Air Races; final events cancelled

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2023/09/ ... 887190007/

Pilots Chris Rushing, Nick Macy killed at Reno Championship Air Races
4:55 p.m. update:

The Reno Air Racing Association announced that pilots Chris Rushing and Nick Macy were killed around 2:15 p.m. when their T-6 Class planes collided during landing. The race had finished. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Rushing was the defending champion in the race and placed first. Macy placed second. Both pilots were from California.

Pilot Nick Macy flies his T-6 Six-Cat during the gold race Sunday at the Reno National Championship Air Races. At the end of the race, his plane and the one piloted by Chris Rushing were involved in a midair collision, killing both of them.
Rushing was flying Baron's Revenge and Macy piloted Six-Cat in the race that had 6 pilots competing over five laps and 24 miles.

“I am completely devastated and heartbroken today,” said Fred Telling, Chairman of the Reno Air Racing Association and President of the T-6 Class. “These two pilots weren’t just an integral part of the National Championship Air Race family, they were a part of my family. My heart goes out to their own families and to all of the spectators and fans who have so enthusiastically supported us this week.”

Original post: Two pilots are dead after they collided into each other on the last day of the National Championship Air Races.

All races on the final day of what is the last year of the annual race at the Reno-Stead Airport have been suspended. Races were scheduled through 5 p.m.

Air race fatalities:Before Sunday's crash, 22 pilots or performers and 10 spectators lost their lives at the Reno Air Races

The annual event has been in Reno for nearly six decades but will find a new location because of the increased development around the airport and other concerns.

The Reno Air Racing Association said the two planes collided around 2:15 p.m.

T-6 pilot Chris Rushing flies his plane Baron's Revenge at the Reno National Championship Air Races Sunday. Rushing and pilot Nick Macy collided midair during landing, killing both men.
The collision happened at the end of the T-6 Gold race. According to the schedule of Sunday's races the T-6 Gold Races started at 1:45 p.m.

The air racing association said it was working to notify family of both pilots.

There were no other injuries or was anyone hurt on the ground, according to early information being released.

The cause of the accident is still being investigated.

This was the final Reno Air Races after 59 years
This year was the last for the National Championship Air Races at the Reno-Stead Airport, which started in 1964.

YouTube
In March, the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority’s board of trustees voted unanimously to authorize its president and CEO, Daren Griffin, to negotiate final terms for the event.

Among the challenges cited in the decision was an increase in insurance costs for the event from $780,000 to $1.3 million and regional growth that makes hosting it at Reno-Stead Airport more challenging.

“Challenging economic conditions and the impact the races have on the airport and surrounding areas can no longer be overlooked,” the board’s agenda item said.

After the RTAA decision, the Reno Air Racing Association – which organizes the event – sent out an email saying, "We are committed to finding a new location so that the event can continue. In fact, we are currently exploring several other possible locations to host the event in the future but it starts with making this year’s event the biggest and most successful it can be."

Reno Air Racing Association CEO Fred Telling told the RGJ last week that the organization had known for years of rumors that RTAA might end the national championships in Reno.

Telling said his organization had been given permission by the airport authority to host an air show in 2024 to mark the races' 60th anniversary, but without the race element.

At least six communities so far have filed to host the 2025 national championship, Telling said, but would not say which ones.

PP

[PHXPhlyer]

Memories of Reno

My first time at The Reno Air Races was in 1978.
A Stearman doing a banner pick-up, the banner saying something to the effect of "Welcome Race Fans", lost its engine. The pilot released the banner and was able to pitch over and hit the ground wings level. The impact blew the wheels off the main gear off and the wheels continued down the runway in parallel like would be illustrated in a cartoon.
Later in the day a P-51H lost its engine in a heat race and made a high speed deadstick landing and groundlooped, collapsing the gear.
Lastly, two T-6s midaired, killing both pilots.
I would have gotten a picture of the moment after the midair but the viewfinder of my camera skidded across the lense of my sunglasses and I missed the shot.
2 dead and four aircraft damaged/destroyed...Welcome to Reno.

PP

[PHXPhlyer]

Juan was there and saw part of the crash.



PP

[Karearea]

A sad conclusion to the whole thing.

[OneHungLow]

2 pilots dead in collision at National Championship Air Races in Nevada
The two planes collided upon landing at the end of the T-6 Gold race in Reno, Nevada, organizers said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/2- ... rcna105515

Two pilots were killed when their planes collided upon landing at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, on Sunday, race organizers said.

The collision happened about 2:15 p.m. at the conclusion of the event's T-6 Gold race, the Reno Air Racing Association said in a statement.

The pilots haven’t been publicly identified.

Racing was suspended as first responders and investigators descended on the scene at Reno Stead Airport, the association said.

No other deaths or injuries were reported.

That National Transportation Safety Board said it would investigate.

The T-6 class of racing pits "stock," propeller-driven North American Aviation T-6 Texan aircraft, first flown as training planes in the prewar era, in contests of speed and agility.

The annual races were held starting Wednesday and scheduled to conclude Sunday.

On Sept. 18, 2022, a jet-propelled Aero L-29 Delfín racing in a final crashed behind a residential area in Reno, killing the pilot.

In 2011, several spectators were killed when a 1940s-model plane slammed into a crowded tarmac during that year's event. Nine people, including at least seven on the ground and the pilot, were killed.

PP

Quite a grisly record all told.

Where can they go now? Bonneville Salt Flats?

[PHXPhlyer]

List of fatalities at Reno Air Races

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2022/09/ ... 423153002/

Sept. 17, 2023: Pilots Nick Macy and Chris Rushing were killed when their T-6 Class planes collided during landing following the conclusion of the race. The cause is under investigation.

Sept. 18, 2022: Pilot Aaron Hogue, 61, of Henderson, Nevada, died in a crash during the Jet Gold Race. The cause is under investigation.

Sept. 8, 2014: Pilot Lee Behel, 64, of San Jose, California, died in a crash when portions of the right wing separated from his experimental aircraft during qualifying heats.

Sept. 16, 2011: Pilot Jimmy Leeward and 10 spectators died when his heavily modified World War II-era aircraft lost control while banking around a pylon at Reno-Stead Airport and slammed into the box seating area. About 70 people were seriously injured, many from flying shrapnel.

Sept. 7, 2008: Formula One pilot Erica Simpson was killed during practice Saturday when the wings broke off her home-built plane as she attempted a roll.

Sept. 14, 2007: Pilot Gary Hubler, 51, of Caldwell, Idaho died when his plane clipped another.

Sept. 13, 2007: Pilot Brad Morehouse of Aston, Wyoming died in a crash of a L-39 jet during race.

Sept. 11, 2007: Pilot Steve Dari of Lemon Grove, California died when his biplane crashed on takeoff during practice.

Sept. 13, 2002: Pilot Tommy Rose of Hickory, Mississippi died when his Sport Class racer crashed into sagebrush during a race.

Sept. 18, 1999: Gary Levitz of Grand Prairie, Texas died when his P-51 disintegrated during a race, scattering debris and damaging a house.

Sept. 17, 1998: Pilot Dick Roberts of Maybee, Michigan died when his Formula One crashed in the desert after a race. Roberts had suffered a massive heart attack.

Sept. 18, 1994: Pilot Ralph Twombly of Wellsville, New York died when his T-6 crashed after colliding with another T-6 at the start of a race. His plane crashed beside a house west of the airport.

Sept. 12, 1994: Pilot Bill Speer of La Mesa, California died when his P-51 crashed next to the east-west runway after engine failure sprayed his windshield with oil.

Sept. 14, 1993: Pilot Rick Brickert, 38, Sandy, Utah died when his unlimited plane named "Pond Racer" crashed in the desert while preparing to land. The 38-year-old former champion died in the twin-engine racer in an emergency landing following an engine malfunction.

Sept. 15, 1989: Pilot Errol Roberson, 49, of Warrenton, Oregon, died when his Formula One crashed after being caught in a dust devil during a race.

Sept. 16, 1987: Pilot Errol Johnstad, 48, of West Berlin, East Germany died when his Formula One crashed after losing lift and fell out of the sky. The cause remains unknown.

Sept. 16, 1981: Pilot Bob Downey, 64, of Whittier, California died when his Formula One crashed west of the airport 300 yards from homes in the Silver Knolls area during practicing. It was unclear what caused the crash — an airplane malfunction or a health problem with the pilot who was on what one official called a "radical diet."

Sept. 14, 1979: Pilot Fred Wofford, 41, of Reno died when his Formula One crashed in a turn during a race. The crash was a mile from the grandstands.

Sept. 17, 1978: Pilots Dimitry Prian of Long Beach, California and Don DeWalt of El Monte, California died when their T-6s collided during a race.

Sept. 12, 1975: Wing-walker Gordon McCollom of Costa Mesa, California was hanging under the plane as it dropped too close to the runway in what one official called a "freakish downdraft." He scraped his head on the runway, dying instantly.

Sept. 12, 1975: Pilot M.D. Washburn, 40, of Houston, Texas died when the wing of his T-6 clipped a pylon. He crashed while in a tight formation at the start of the race.

Sept. 17, 1972: Pilot H.E. "Tommy" Thomas, 50, of Sacramento died when his biplane crashed during a race. Thomas'plane slammed to the ground at 150 mph. The high-powered racer was on the first lap of an eight-lap race when it dropped from a group of racers.

PP

[OneHungLow]

Early Analysis of Fatal Reno Accident Offers Lessons
The airshow midair offers a sobering reminder that the pattern is no place to let down your guard.

One of the first lessons a fledgling pilot learns is to keep your head on a swivel in places where aircraft congregate—such as the airport traffic pattern. The aviation world experienced a painful reminder of this Sunday with a midair collision of two North American Aviation T-6 Texans at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada.

The pilots, both from California, were identified as Chris Rushing of Thousand Oaks, flying Baron’s Revenge, and Nick Macy of Tulelake, flying Six-Cat. Both Rushing and Macy were arguably two of the most skilled and experienced air race pilots in the world for the class.

READ MORE: Reno Air Races Canceled Following Fatal Collision
The collision occurred after the race. Minutes before the accident, the pair had been competing in the last race of the Gold category. The races are run at 50 to 250 feet agl with engines consistently at full power and the aircraft flying nearly wing tip to wing tip.

The intensity of the competition takes a toll on both the pilots and aircraft, necessitating a cooldown period following the final flag. There is no set rule for how long the cooldown is or how many laps the aircraft must take, or the order in which they will return for landing. It is left to the discretion of the pilots since it is not a “follow-the-leader” situation.

As noted in the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s Air Safety Institute (ASI) preliminary assessment of the accident, the collision happened when the aircraft were attempting to land on Runway 8 at Reno-Stead Airport (KRTS).



Richard McSpadden, senior vice president of ASI, noted that the collision occurred at approximately the base to final turn for the runway.

“It appears there are three potential factors that may have contributed to this accident: decreased vigilance departing the cooldown area, procedural errors in traffic deconfliction, and diminished visibility below the higher flying aircraft,” McSpadden said. “We’ll look for the [National Transportation Safety Board report] to determine the cause.”

While the ASI video report on YouTube does not show footage of the midair itself, at 3:36 there is a graphic, still image of one of the aircraft moments before the crash. The T-6, identified as Baron’s Revenge, is missing its tail.

Because the race was over, the attention of the crowd was not so much on the T-6s, and a great many attendees reported seeing the aftermath of the collision as wreckage falling from the sky or clouds of dust rising from the desert floor. Others described hearing a collective gasp from the crowd followed by confusion and a stunned silence.

Both the FAA and NTSB are investigating the accident. The NTSB preliminary report is expected to be released in a few weeks.

The Takeaway
If anything can be drawn from this accident, it is that the pattern is no place to let down your guard. The combination of crowded airspace, inherent blind spots due to aircraft design, low altitude, and relatively slow speeds during a task-saturated phase of flight makes for a challenging environment.

This accident proves that experience and skill can only go so far—if it can happen to professionals, it can happen to us.

https://www.flyingmag.com/early-analysi ... rs-lessons

[Karearea]

blancolirio: Reno AT-6 Midair UPDATE 22 Sept 2023 [15:16]

[G-CPTN]

Do these incidents merely highlight that 'aviation is dangerous' (I recall signs stating 'Motor Racing is dangerous').

When one recalls the number of fatal 'accidents' during military aviation training flights, it must be endemic.

[PHXPhlyer]

Pilot confusion preceded collision that killed 2 pilots at Reno Air Races, NTSB says
Veteran California pilots Chris Rushing of Thousand Oaks and Nick Macy of Tulelake were killed in the mid-air collision on Sept. 17.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pi ... rcna120014

RENO, Nev. — A preliminary investigation suggests there was confusion among pilots just before a fatal mid-air collision at the National Championship Air Races last month but sheds little light on why.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a four-page report Wednesday with some of the few details investigators have pieced together in their preliminary probe of the cause of the Sept. 17 crash that killed veteran California pilots Chris Rushing of Thousand Oaks and Nick Macy of Tulelake.

Rushing had just won the T-6 title race and Macy had finished second when their vintage single-engine planes collided as they were moving into position about 300 feet off the ground to land at the Reno-Stead Airport, witnesses told the NTSB.

The third-place pilot, Vic McMann of Vancouver, British Columbia, said neither was where he thought they would normally be before he lost sight of them as they prepared to approach the runway along what’s referred to as the “base leg” of the air traffic pattern, according to the NTSB report.

McMann said he continued to slow his airplane to “create some space and time to see them.” As he got closer to the runway he spotted Macy’s plane and then “finally spotted” Rushing’s plane below his position to the right. At that point, he could see Macy’s plane in level flight, to his left. “Both airplanes were not where he expected them to be,” the report said.

McMann said Rushing was on a “wider base” than the previous two flights, and Macy was “tighter” than his position, the report said.

He said Rushing “crossed in front of his position from right to left and disappeared” on the right side before Macy disappeared under his left wing.

“Shortly after, he observed Rushing where he expected him to be in level flight ... briefly before it began to roll to the right and descend,” the report said.

Another witness stated that when the collision occurred Macy was at about a 75-degree angle headed downward in relation to Rushing’s path, the report said.

A final report on the cause of the crash at the airport just north of Reno isn’t expected to be completed for at least another year.

Rushing was the defending champion in the race he won that day. Macy, the runner-up, had won six times.

Aviation industry experts said in the days after the crash they were dumbfounded that such experienced pilots ended up colliding.

Reno Air Racing Association CEO Fred Telling, a former T-6 racer, was among those who noted the large wings on the planes used to train World War II pilots can restrict visibility for the pilot of a plane flying above another below.

“If you are in a turn, something immediately below you would be blanked out,” Telling said last month. “Or it could have been the glare of the sun.”

The collision brought an abrupt end to what was to be the celebrated finale of Reno’s run as the home of the national championships since 1964.

Event organizers were already looking for a new home for the competition after this year, partly because of rising insurance costs since 2011. That year a P-51D Mustang suffered a mechanical failure and crashed into the apron in front of the grandstand, killing the pilot and 10 spectators and seriously injuring 70 others. It was one of the deadliest air show disasters in U.S. history.

PP