Police in Nevada said 9 people were killed on Saturday when an airplane plunged into the grandstands at the Reno Air Races, and dozens more were injured. The Reno police said the deaths included 7 people who were killed on the scene and two who died later at local hospitals. The pilot, identified as 79-year-old Jimmy Leeward from Florida, was among the victims. The death toll included spectators who tried to flee the crash scene. A number of those injured remain in critical condition. The accident occurred at around 4:20 PM at the Reno-Stead Airport as part of an annual air race show that draws thousands of fans from across the United States. Federal investigators soon arrived at the scene of the crash to begin investigating the causes of the accident. Technical failure is believed by aviation experts to be the reason for the accident, but no official reasons have yet to be given. This is not the first fatal accident at the National Championship Air Race, which started five decades ago, as four pilots were killed in the 2007 and 2008 air shows. The airplane, a vintage P-51 Mustang, a World War II fighter known as the “Cadillac of the Skies”, looked out of control and the pilot was seen trying to get it back on course before it leaned to the right and hit the ground. BM
