At the National Championship Air Races held in Reno, Nevada, two aircraft attempting to land tragically collided. This accident was confirmed by the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) and resulted in the deaths of both pilots, identified as Nick Macy and Chris Rushing.
Fred Telling, who is in charge of RARA and the T-6 Class, shed light on the tragedy. He mentioned that both Macy and Rushing were vital figures within the National Championship Air Race community. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the affected families as well as to the event’s fans and attendees.
The specifics of the event, as documented by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), indicate that the collision happened around 2:45 pm on Sunday, September 17. The involved aircrafts were a North American T-6 G and a North American AT-6B, both single-engine planes. Only the pilots were aboard at the time.
In addition, RARA took to Facebook to offer more details. They mentioned that the incident took place at the termination of the T-6 Gold race and reassured that no civilians were injured.
Safety remains paramount for RARA. They reiterated their commitment to ensuring a safe environment for all participants and attendees. They also emphasized their collaboration with key authorities, including the NTSB and FAA, in investigating the root cause of the mishap.
Both the NTSB and FAA are actively investigating the matter.