Air race disaster like impact of missile

THE scene of Reno’s air race crash that killed nine people reveals the violence of the plane’s missile-like impact — a crater in the tarmac roughly 3 feet deep and 8 feet across with debris spread out over more than an acre.

From a tour of the site on Saturday evening, it appeared the 1940s-model plane went straight down in the first few rows of VIP box seats, based on the crater’s location.

The plane hit about 65 feet in front of the leading edge of the grandstand where thousands were watching on Friday as the planes sped by just a few hundred feet above the ground.

Some members of the crowd have reported noticing a strange gurgling engine noise from above before the P-51 Mustang, dubbed The Galloping Ghost, pitched violently upward, twirled and took an immediate nose-dive into the crowd.

The plane, flown by a 74-year-old veteran racer and Hollywood stunt pilot, disintegrated in a ball of dust, debris and bodies as screams of “Oh my God” spread through the crowd.

The death toll rose to nine on Saturday as investigators determined that several onlookers were killed on impact as the plane appeared to lose a piece of its tail before slamming like a missile into the crowded tarmac.

The crash killed the pilot, Jimmy Leeward, and eight spectators. So far, two have been identified. Michael Wogan, 22, of Scottsdale, Ariz., had muscular dystrophy and was in a wheelchair in the VIP section when the plane crashed, the family said Saturday. The Washoe County, Nevada, medical examiner identified the other victim as Greg Morcom of Washington state, a first-time spectator at the show, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Officials said 69 people were treated at hospitals, including 36 who have been released and 31 who remain there. Nine are in critical condition.

Injuries included major head wounds, facial trauma and limb injuries, including amputations.

National Transportation Safety Board officials were on the scene to determine what caused Leeward to lose control of the plane, and they were looking at amateur video clips that appeared to show a small piece of the aircraft falling to the ground before the crash.

Danger for spectators lurks behind the thrills

THRILL-seeking pilots zoom by at speeds of up to 500mph as spectators ooh and aah at the site of jets, vintage planes and high-performance aircraft whizzing past with their wingtips nearly touching.

Even the sounds are awe-inspiring amid the deafening roar of planes that are sometimes just a few hundred feet away from spectators.

But the consequences can be deadly. Over the years critics have attacked the Reno air races event as a recipe for the kind of disaster that played out on Friday in front of thousands of people. The crash has led to calls that officials consider ending the event, the only one of its kind in the United States.

The National Championship Air Races turned deadly on Friday when veteran pilot Jimmy Leeward, 74, lost control of his Second World War fighter plane and crashed, sending shrapnel into the crowd. It was the first time spectators had been killed since the races began 47 years ago in Reno.

Twenty pilots, including Mr Leeward, have died in that time, race officials said. Three pilots died while racing in the 2007 event and another was killed during a practice race the next year.

Officials say the races generate tens of millions of dollars for the local economy.

Picture: The World War II-era fighter plane plunges into the edge of the grandstands during the air race creating an horrific scene.