RENO, Nev. – The scene of Reno’s air race crash that killed nine people reveals the violence of the plane’s missile-like impact — a crater in the tarmac roughly 3 feet deep and 8 feet across with debris spread out over more than an acre.
From a tour of the site Saturday evening, it appeared that the 1940s-model plane went straight down in the first few rows of VIP box seats, based on the crater’s location.
The plane hit about 65 feet in front of the leading edge of the grandstand where thousands were watching Friday as the planes sped by just a few hundred feet above the ground.
Some members of the crowd have reported noticing a strange gurgling engine noise from above before the P-51 Mustang, dubbed The Galloping Ghost, pitched violently upward, twirled and took an immediate nosedive into the crowd.
The plane, flown by a 74-year-old veteran racer and Hollywood stunt pilot, disintegrated in a ball of dust, debris and bodies as screams of “Oh my God!” spread through the crowd.
The death toll rose to nine Saturday as investigators determined that several onlookers were killed on impact as the plane appeared to lose a piece of its tail before slamming
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