A pilot was killed on Sunday when a plane crashed during an air race in Nevada.
The incident occurred at the 2022 National Championship Air Races and Air Show event in Reno, Nevada, during the third lap of the final race for the aircraft’s class. The aircraft, an Aero L-29 Delfin jet, went down in a fireball behind a residential area during the race, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
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BREAKING: A plane crashed at the Reno Air Races just now, sparking a fire. Here’s what we know: https://t.co/LmI5QdAUrY pic.twitter.com/6DfRpmnpIB
— Ben Margiott (@BenMargiott) September 18, 2022
Video footage of the incident, which was livestreamed on the Reno Air Races YouTube page, showed the jet closely behind another aircraft as it started drifting toward the ground. The plane appeared to hit the ground at a high rate of speed and erupted in flames.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Twitter that one person is deceased as a result of a plane crash.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office confirms one person is deceased as a result of a plane crash at the Reno Air Races today.
WCSO detectives are currently working the scene with the Medical Examiner’s Office. No names will be released until notification of next of kin.
— Washoe Sheriff (@WashoeSheriff) September 19, 2022
The event is held every September at Reno-Stead Airport. It is billed by event organizers as “the fastest motorsport on Earth.”
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More than a dozen pilots have been killed in crashes during the event over the last 50 years. The deadliest incident occurred in 2011 when a modified World War II-era P-51D Mustang aircraft lost control and crashed into a seating area at the Reno-Stead Airport, killing the pilot and 10 spectators.
The name of the pilot killed on Sunday was not released by event organizers or authorities.
