HolyCoast: P-51 Reportedly Crashes Into Stands at Reno Air Races
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Friday, September 16, 2011

P-51 Reportedly Crashes Into Stands at Reno Air Races

This is just breaking and there's not much info yet.  From Breaking News:
Plane crashes into stands at Reno Air Races; fatalities, injuries unknown


Reno air race update: Crashed plane was modified P-51 WW2 vintage aircraft - NBC Los Angeles
This is a worst case scenario if true. These aircraft are flying very low and very fast and usually well away from the stands. A high speed crash into the stands could result in a significant number of fatalities and injuries.

UPDATE:  Reno Gazette reports as many as 50 casualties.  Pilot was reported by Reno TV as 74-years old.  Plane was the Galloping Ghost.  Possibly 60 casualties now reported.

UPDATE:  Here's a photo of the plane from Leeward Air Racing.  Pilot was Jimmy Leeward, 80-years old.
UPDATE - Video:






Now reporting 12 dead, 30 injured, many serious.

This is the pilot (from his Facebook page):
From Breaking News:
Reno air race crash update: Medical official tells AP more than 75 injured, 25 critically; no word on deaths; KOLO says 12 dead

Reno air race crash update: eyewitness says '1 guy cut in half, blood everywhere' in 'mass casualty event' bit.ly/qp4LOD
UPDATE - Latest info is 54 casualties, many of them critical. No official word on fatalities yet.

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