AOPA’S AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE RELEASES EARLY ANALYSIS: RENO T-6 MIDAIR VIDEO
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) released a new video from its Early Analysis series providing an initial examination of a tragic accident that took place this past weekend.
On September 17, 2023, two North American Aviation T-6 Texans crashed midair at the National Championship Air Races (NCAR) in Reno, Nevada. No injuries on the ground were reported. Tragically, the accident claimed the lives of esteemed air race competitors Chris Rushing and Nick Macy, both of whom were prior NCAR winners.
Following the final flag of the last race on the last day of the National Championship Air Races ever to be held in Reno, the two competitors in the T-6 class, Gold race category, dropped from the cool-down area and positioned themselves for landing on Runway 8. The midair collision occurred at some point during their transition from the cool-down area to landing.
“In Early Analysis: Reno T-6 Midair, the AOPA Air Safety Institute wants to help pilots understand what is known about the accident. We look at factors that are likely to be the subject of an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB),” said ASI Senior Vice President Richard McSpadden.
McSpadden continued, “It appears there are three potential factors that may have contributed to this accident: decreased vigilance departing the cool-down area, procedural errors in traffic deconfliction, and diminished visibility below the higher-flying aircraft. We’ll look for the NTSB to determine the cause.”
Early Analysis videos provide an initial assessment of prominent mishaps that generate large public interest and may indicate important safety lessons for the general aviation community.
View the video here.
View other Early Analysis videos here.
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