One Dead After Plane Crashes At Reno Air Race

A pilot was killed when their plane crashed into the ground during an annual air race championship in Nevada on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

The single-engine plane was participating in the Jet Gold Race, one of the final events of the National Championship Air Races near Reno, when video shows the aircraft hitting the ground and skidding in flames.

No other people were harmed, officials said.

Warning: Video and a photo below depict crashes at the event, which may be disturbing for some readers. 

The pilot’s name was not released during a press conference that followed the crash.

“I personally, and we as a board and the family, express our deepest sympathies to the pilot’s family and friends, as well as the racers and the race fans who make up our September family,” said Fred Telling, CEO of the Reno Air Racing Association, at the press conference.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

The aerial event, first held in 1964, lauds itself as “the world’s fastest motor sport,” with participants flying at speeds that can exceed 500 mph.

Back in 2011, a World War II-era plane participating in the event crashed near the grandstand, killing the pilot, 10 people on the ground and injuring scores more. That crash was blamed on aged plane components, high speed and undocumented and untested modifications that had been made to the aircraft.

The crash led to a number of changes to the event, including a requirement that participating planes undergo safety tests before the race. Spectators are also seated farther from the race course.