Horrifying moment jet plunges before smashing into ground and erupting in a huge fireball at Nevada air races: Pilot killed in front of hundreds of fans
- Video shows the terrifying moment a stunt pilot crashed his plane during a Nevada air race in front of horrified fans
- Video posted to Twitter shows two planes racing across the Reno mountains when one gets too low and crashes into a field
- It quickly erupts into a ball of fire, sending flames flying as it skids across the grass and breaks apart
- The pilot died in the crash, officials announced at a news conference later
Shocking video shows the terrifying moment a jet plunged into the ground and erupted into a huge ball of fire, killing the pilot inside.
The video posted to Twitter Sunday starts off with two planes racing across the Reno mountains when one of them gets too low and crashes into a field.
It quickly erupted into a ball of fire as it skidded across the grassy knoll sending flames flying in its wake as thousands of fans at the event watched in horror and many others watched via livestream.
The plane bounced several times as pieces of the plane seemed to fall off.
‘Oh no, oh no,’ the announcer says, as his co-host at the Jet Gold Race says: ‘There was a problem, we’ve had a catastrophe here Thomas.’
A judge then calls a red flag as the video shows smoke billowing from the crash, and the National Championship Air Races was suspended in the aftermath.
The pilot died in the catastrophe, officials announced later, but would not release his name at the press conference.
But witnesses identified the pilot online as Aaron Hogue, the race’s 2021 Rookie of the Year.
Video from the Reno Air Races shows two jets racing across the Reno mountains when one of them gets too low and crashes into a field
The plane soon crashes into the ground on lap three of six during the Jet Gold Race on outer pylon five
It skidded across the landscape, sending flames flying in its wake as it continued to bounce and break apart across the field
The video ends with smoke billowing from the crash, as all other races in the National Championship Air Races were suspended
Fred Telling, the CEO and president of the Reno Air Racing Association, said at a follow-up news conference that the crash happened on lap three of six during the Jet Gold Race on outer pylon five.
‘All other pilots landed safely,’ he noted, adding that the Racing Association board ‘express our greatest sympathies to the pilot’s family and friends, as well as the race fans.’
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating the crash.
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