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.