Debris flies and the crowd scatters as the P51 Mustang airplane crashes into the edge of the grandstands Friday at the air race in Reno, Nev. / Photos by WARD HOWES/Associated Press
RENO, Nev. -- Federal officials were in Reno on Saturday, investigating what caused a 74-year-old pilot to lose control of his World War II-era plane and crash at a Reno air race on Friday, killing himself and eight spectators and injuring at least 50 others.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Terry Williams said it's too early to say what caused the crash. Event organizers have suggested a mechanical problem.
As thousands watched in horror, the P51 Mustang suddenly pitched upward, rolled and nose-dived toward the crowded grandstand, slamming into the tarmac and blowing to pieces.
It appears that the deaths and injuries were caused by flying parts of the plane.
"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," said Ryan Harris of Round Mountain, Nev. "The next thing I saw was a wall of debris going up in the air."
Left in its wake were bloodied bodies spread across the area as people tended to the victims and ambulances rushed to the scene. Video showed a man with his leg severed at the knee.
Veteran Hollywood stunt pilot Jimmy Leeward died in the crash. Initially, authorities said three spectators had died, but Saturday, they revised that number, saying seven had died on the tarmac and two others died later at hospitals.
Before Friday, 17 people had been killed at the National Championship Air Races since their start in 1964, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported. Friday's crash was the first time spectators were killed or seriously injured, the newspaper said.
Tim O'Brien of Grass Valley, Calif., was photographing Friday's races when the crash occurred. He said the P51 Mustang was racing six other planes when it pitched violently upward, rolled and headed straight down.
From the photos he took, O'Brien said it looked like a piece of the plane's tail called a "trim tab" had fallen off. He said he believes that's what caused the plane's sudden climb.
Meanwhile, the pilot of another World War II-era plane, a T28 aircraft, was killed Saturday when his plane crashed at the Thunder Over Blue Ridge air show in Martinsburg, W. Va.
Media reports said the unnamed pilot apparently lost control during a six-plane stunt formation and crashed on the runway. Officials said no one on the ground was injured.