Reno Air Race Crash Kills 9: Pilot Had a Dangerous Love for Speed
Nevada is reeling after an air show crash in Reno left more than 50 injured and at least 9 dead, Saturday.
"This is a very large incident, probably one of the largest this community has seen in decades," said Stephanie Kruse, a spokesperson for the Regional Emergency Medical Service Authority.
Maureen Higgins of Alabama sat approximately 30 yards from the crash and witnessed the terrifying event.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
“Obviously he had no control. He was wobbling. He went upside down and then he headed straight for us, straight at the grandstand," she said of the pilot.
The P51 Mustang air plane was piloted by 74-year-old veteran Hollywood stunt pilot Jimmy Leeward of Ocala, Florida. Leeward has appeared as a stunt flyer in films such as “Amelia” and “Cloud Dancer.”
He once described his love for his P51 Mustang, which he named “The Galloping Ghost” in a local newspaper.
“They're more fun, more speed, more challenge. Speed, speed and more speed,” he said excitedly.
Leeward had always enjoyed the exhilaration of high-speed aerobatics, mostly to the chagrin of his wife Bette, who spoke of her husband’s daring pursuits last year in a prophetic interview with the Ocala Star-Banner.
"The thing is, since we were high school sweethearts, I just grew up with this. When you're younger, it doesn't seem to bother you as much. But now, it is a little more difficult. But Jimmy loves to do it, so I go along with it. I just pray,” said a fearful Mrs. Leeward.
The plane is estimated to have been traveling between 400 and 500 miles per hour at the time of impact.
According to Greg Feith, former inspector for the National Transportation Safety Board, the wing position of the plane seen before it impacted might indicate a technical malfunction. He also stated that “The pilot might not have been in control of the plane based on excessive G-forces.”
The National Championship Air Races, which sponsored the now tragic event, draws thousands of people every year to its air shows, which includes civilian and military races. There have been prior crashes, specifically in 2007 and 2008, where pilots have been killed but nothing of this magnitude.
