RENO, Nev. – Federal investigators are on the scene of a Reno air race crash that killed the pilot and two spectators and injured more than 50.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Terry Williams told The Associated Press Saturday that a team has arrived from Washington to join regional officials.
He says it’s too early to say what caused the crash.
Organizers of the National Championship Air Races earlier said it appears a mechanical failure with the P-51 Mustang was to blame.
Witness and video accounts show that the World War II vintage plane suddenly pitched upward, rolled and did a nose-dive toward the crowded grandstand.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported that prior to Friday’s crash, 17 people had been killed at the air races since their start 1964.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
As thousands watched in horror, a World War II-era fighter plane competing in a Nevada event described as a car race in the sky suddenly pitched upward, rolled and did a nose-dive toward the crowded grandstand.
The plane, flown by a 74-year-old veteran Hollywood stunt pilot, then slammed into the tarmac in front of VIP box seats and blew to pieces in front
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