Two pilots died in a crash at an air racing event Sunday, according to authorities.
“It is with great sorrow that the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) announces that around 2:15 p.m. this afternoon, at the conclusion of the T-6 Gold race, upon landing, two planes collided and it has been confirmed that both pilots are deceased,” read a post on X from RARA.
The names of the pilots and other related information were not immediately available as RARA’s officials were working to notify the pilots’ families of the fatal accident.
“All racing operations are currently suspended. Safety is the foremost concern of RARA and we work year round to host the safest event possible,” ran another post from RARA in part. (RELATED: Plane Full Of Tourists Crashes, Killing 14 People)
Additional information will be released as soon as it is available. All racing operations are currently suspended. Safety is the foremost concern of RARA and we work year round to host the safest event possible. (3/-)
— Reno Air Racing Association (@RenoAirRaces) September 17, 2023
The organizers further said they were working with the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and local authorities to investigate the crash and to provide support for all the pilots, spectators and volunteers involved in the racing event.
The air racing event was the National Championship Air Races (NCAR), held from September 13 to 17. It is an annual event held since 1964, with the exception of 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks and 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NCAR’s inaugural organizer, Bill Stead, was a hydroplaning and aviation aficionado who died when his racing plane crashed during a test flight over Tampa Bay, Florida, on April 28, 1966.