RENO, Nev. – The death toll in the terrifying crash of a World War II-era plane during a Reno air race has risen to at least nine people, including the pilot and eight spectators, authorities said Saturday.
The deaths include seven who were killed on the tarmac and two others who died at hospitals, Reno Deputy Police Chief Dave Evans said.
The new death toll was announced at a briefing with local and federal investigators a day after the Friday afternoon crash. Authorities previously said that three people had perished in the crash.
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As thousands watched in horror, the P-51 Mustang suddenly pitched upward, rolled and nose-dived toward the crowded grandstand. It then slammed into the tarmac and blew to pieces in front the pilot’s family and a tight-knit group of friends who attend the annual event.
“It came down directly at us. As I looked down, I saw the spinner, the wings, the canopy just coming right at us. It hit directly in front of us, probably 50 to 75 feet,” Ryan Harris, of Round Mountain, Nev., told the AP.
“The next thing I saw was a wall of debris going up in the air. That’s what I got splashed with. In the wall of debris noticed there were pieces of flesh.”
The following map below details the approximate location of the crash.
To access an interactive timeline of other air show crashes, click the “Air Show Crashes” tab below.
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