A vintage World War II aircraft killed at least three people and injured more than 50, some critically, when it ploughed into spectators at an air show in the US state of Nevada and there were fears Saturday that the death toll would rise. Amateur video of the accident in Reno captured the moment the P-51 Mustang fighter, called the ‘Galloping Ghost’, smashed almost vertically to the ground near a packed grandstand.
At least 15 victims were in a critical condition in hospital. ‘I did have an opportunity to visit the site, and it is horrific,’ Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval told reporters. Witnesses said the aircraft crashed Friday into an area of boxes – roped-off areas for spectators – while one said the pilot prevented even greater casualties by swerving to avoid hitting the grandstand itself.
‘It pretty well wiped out the front of the box area,’ said Mike Houghton, the head of the Reno Air Racing Association, declining to comment on how many people could have died, while giving the number of injured as 54. ‘We are all devastated by this tragedy,’ he added, briefing reporters. The aircraft was piloted by a Florida real estate developer, named as Jimmy Leeward.
Amateur video of the accident, shot from the grandstand, showed people gasping in horror as the plane came down. Reno Air Racing Association Mike Draper said the plane was a lap or two into the race when its pilot called in a mayday. ‘We don’t know why it crashed. The pilot did call in. He did pull out of the lap, which is what they do. They usually pull up, directly up to clear the race track,’ he added.
Eyewitness Ben Cissell praised the pilot. ‘I think that that pilot in the last two seconds pulled up because he saw the bleachers and I would guess he probably saved 200 to 300 other people,’ he told CNN. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched an immediate investigation, and would give updates on the number of dead in the accident, Houghton said. An eyewitness, Gerald Lent, said: ‘It’s just like a massacre. It’s like a bomb went off .. There (were) people lying all over the runway.’
‘One guy was cut in half. There’s blood everywhere… There’s arms and legs. One guy just said ‘Hey, there’s another foot over here,’ he added, quoted by the Reno Gazette-Journal. Houghton dismissed suggestions that the health of the pilot – initially reported to be 80 years old – could have had a role in the crash. ‘All of his medical records and everything were up to date, spot on and Jimmy was a very experienced and talented, qualified pilot,’ he said, adding that he had been flying at the Reno air show since 1975.
Leeward’s family voiced its shock on the veteran pilot’s Facebook page, saying: ‘We are deeply saddened by the tragedy at the air race today. Please join us in praying at this time for all the families affected.’