Nick is from my hometown and he probably had more hrs in a radial than any pilot flying, he was a friend, neighbor and a pillar in the community and everyone is devastated by his passing. Godspeed Nick
I'm sorry, but Nick got what was coming. These types of needless deaths will continue as long as we keep letting elderly men fly high demanding/performance airshows. Nick deserved it. He had no business up being up there.
@@t.w.7731I don't think we should keep letting miserable and uninformed people comment of TH-cam videos, but yet here you are. Macy's was/is a respected fixture in a small community, you are a nameless coward on the internet.
The main takeaway from this crash is that even very experienced pilots can make mistakes. This crash had nothing to do with an air race, but just two aircraft in the pattern. Everyone out there flying a 172 or a Warrior or an SR20 or a tecnam could run into the exact same scenario, which is why it's great to have someone like Mr. Blancolirio reviewing these crashes. Thanks Juan.
I personally think it had everything to do with an air race, emphasis on RACE, 100 foot or whatever off the ground overtaking in a tight, very tight, pattern. With a spectator stand ahead and a housing community to the West. Condolences to both pilots and their families and the people and children watching; but keep these away from the public or just demonstrate them singularly. It is just an indulgence on beahalf of the pilot owners who I'm sure are helped to defray some costs via the organisation that are the airfield and land owners. I saw two seperate fatal (pilot only) air show crashes in Ireland in the 80's and a mach 1+ grandstand pass, but I think they were still a lot safer than this type of "show".
@@pomerau I think you missed @dermick point. The crash happened AFTER the race had concluded at pattern altitude, not at race altitude and under normal CTAF pattern conduct of operations. He emphasized that this could happen at any uncontrolled airfield that uses a unicom or CTAF frequency with a pattern. He also emphasized the importance of not losing sight of the interval aircraft that one is following in the pattern.
@@pomerau Just b/c you don't like air races or how they are conducted, doesn't change that this accident took place during pattern operations after the race. After. Not during.
I'm confused. While CTAF is quoted others have stated that there was an Airboss, mini Airboss, observers, and retired ATC controllers in the tower. Others have quoted radio comms from tower "cleared to land". @@warsurplus
@@pomerauHave you ever thought about how the heckler’s veto, or other strategic attacks on people’s interests, might get used to take away whatever you like to spend your time on? You might think you are safe, but you won’t believe what types of hobbies and activities have been targeted by different governments and activist groups. Once I heard about stamp collecting getting targeted, I realized no one’s loves are safe from others.
I was on the roof of a house almost directly below where the pilots collided. Six cat went down in the field less than 400 feet behind us. There is no doubt in our minds he did everything he could to keep the plane away from us. A true hero. He saved me and my family’s life that day. Rest is peace sir.
I grew up 10 miles from Nick on the Oregon side of the border. My father was a competing crop duster with him. He was always a real nice guy. This is tragic and heartbreaking. I loved watching sixcat out practicing.
Godspeed Chris. I served with him in the CA ANG. He flew those T6s for years and I almost went up with him in one. A great pilot and great guy who will be missed.
It will be a closed coffin funeral. Quite often nothing bigger than a cell phone can be found of a human body in these crashes. Flying a very fast airplane less than 200 feet off the ground is a wonderful way to end up as mincemeat.
@@wapiti3750You are aware this accident happened in the pattern, right? He was not going fast and not flying lower than you normally would in the traffic pattern.
Thanks for the update Juan. We were also in the grandstands, I heard somebody gasp so looked in that direction and saw them both coming down. It was surreal and I will never forget it. My deepest condolences to the crews and families.
I did not see the collision but I didn't miss it by much as I saw the light colored plane go down first and shortly thereafter the dark plane. I didn't know which planes they were as I was in the grandstand also near section 3. I would swear that the light colored plane's empennage was intact as it headed in, both planes were in nearly perfect planform to me but I could not tell if I was looking at the top or bottom of either plane. I have seen the photo of race 14 with the aft section of the fuselage missing but I wonder if it was lower out of my sight line when it came off.
I'm sad that we have ATC present and technologies available that could have aided this situation, but we don't use them and don't have more rigorous procedures. A very unfortunate pair of lives lost. We can do better.
I had a chance to work the Races this year out on the ramp and was looking forward to visiting with you after the last race but just couldn't find the will after the accident. All of us (me included this year) are part of a close family, especially the guys and gals that have volunteered year after year. The pilots and crews are just as excited about the event as we were. Just ask anyone who was at the AT-6 party Saturday night, my heart aches for them. Great job as always Juan, thanks for helping us fly safe.
As someone who has never seen this type of flying, I had butterflies in my stomach while watching. My father was a Spitfire pilot during WW2 and did aerobatics before and after the war and photo recon during the war. This flying shows what skill and enormous experience is involved but it's a warning to all that something could happen at any time. I'm so sorry for all those who knew the pilots and their families. Thank ou for explaining this to us.
I shot video of the the actual midair from the Valley of Speed. I was in a private lot on the fence line aproximately 1,000' north of where #14 impacted the ground. I saw #6 flying downwind aproximately 800' south of my position in a wings level attitude. Iooked to the north, aproximately 90 degrees to my left and saw #14 on base, wings level and gear down. I pivoted my tripod counterclockwise to pick #14 up. He passed over my head at aproximately 800'. I rotated the camera counterclockwise to follow him.I finished my rotation as he continued his base approach towards the runway. Aproximately 3 seconds later, #6 entered the video frame from the left, and about 2 seconds later he impacted #14 from the left and slightly below. There was a puff of smoke as he cut the left aileron off of #14, then more smoke as he cut #14's empennage off. 1.15 seconds after impact, there was a large bang as the sound from the collision reached my position. #6 continued out of frame to the right as #14 slowly spiraled counterclockwise one turn before impacting the ground nose straight down. I immediately panned the camera to the right and saw #6 impact the ground across the road and near some houses, but didn't capture it. I did capture a small plume of dust rising at the impact site. I then turned back towards the initial crash of #14 and captured two large pieces (wings) from the tail section tumbling slowly to the ground. From midair to impact was 7.5 seconds for #14, and aproximately 10 seconds for #6 to impact. It's my "guess" that Nick Macy in #6 may have been in incapacitated due to debris hitting his cockpit. His plane was intact (wings and tail still on) after the midair. I had met Chris Rushing a few years earlier at Reno, and we interviewed him in 2021. I captured his 2019 Gold win from atop his trailer in the pits. Needless to say, my wife and I were totally devastated by the shocking and unnecessary midair.
@@blancolirio Yes. RARA drove the NTSB & FAA investigators over to us in the Valley less than an hour after the crash to view the footage. On Monday morning, the lead NTSB investigator copied the original clip to his laptop at Stead. So they're set with the footage.
Sunday was a long day. I was at my brother's house (last house on Coyote Run Court) watching the racing, but the race had finished so wasn't really paying attention. Heard a loud initial bang looked up to see Barons Revenge in a steep left bank and Six Cat's prop impacting and appearing to sever the tail section on Baron's Revenge. Six Cat immediately made a hard right into a barrel roll over my brother's house and impacted while inverted near vertical 250 yards behind the house. The neighbors behind my brother on White Owl Drive had been up on their roof watching the races and had debris land in their yard. Barons Revenge went down behind the trees so I couldn't tell at the time if it hit any of the houses on Osage or not. Baron's Revenge's tail was recovered from the backyard area of the houses on Osage between Coyote Run Court and White Owl Drive. It appeared Six Cat had "all four corners of the aircraft" and the engine was "turn-in and burn-in" as it went over my brother's house upside down. I'm wondering if Nick had been in-capacitated by the impact from the tail section that separated from Baron's Revenge. Sad to see the races end this way.
It is awful to contemplate that type of injury, but I hope that it was over quickly (I'd hope more that it had never happened) for him. When I saw the relative positions of the (model) planes as shown in the video... surviving that initial impact and dying after the ground impact just doesn't bear thinking about.
I know nothing about this and don't usually watch plane racing but had this suggested to me by youtube... I may be wrong but after seeing some car crashes where the driver had a medical event, it makes me wonder if the rear plane pilot didn't have some kind of medical event and was already incapacitated before he hit the forward plane?
I have not commented before on this, preferring to wait for your first detailed report. This was an absolute tragedy, for the families of the pilots involved, for all those at Reno whether competing or just spectating and for the last edition of the Reno Air Races, not a way for them to be remembered. No words can express their feelings although many will try. Coming from a motorsport background I am always reminded of the signs, "Motorsport is Dangerous". But competitors will always compete, organisers will always organise and spectators will always spectate. It may be trite to say this, but the pilots died doing what they loved. Thank you JB for this update.
Not only trite to say that they died doing what they loved, but foolish. Although no one on the ground was hurt, innocent people in the vicinity were at risk. The FAA should shut down all the vintage aircraft racing, air shows and "fan airplane rides". The entire vintage aircraft community has demonstrated often that it doesn't have what it takes to operate consistently safely.
@@vgrof2315 It’s about getting a sensible balance of risk. If Juan used to air race, it makes me think it can’t be that bad… I wonder what he thinks about it nowadays…
Brian Murray gave us a great look at Reno air racing from the valley of speed that that I don’t believe has ever been done live every day. RARA has cameras and angles but they are not with constant commentary from someone who is at the camera. Well done Brian, even with the unfortunate ending. Filming live stream is in a way very difficult to do, and Brian answered many questions along during the week while streaming.
I had the pleasure of flying with Nick Macey for a couple of days as an ATGS many years ago. We had hired his company's Cessna 210 as a call when needed air attack platform. Nicks regular pilot wasn't available, so he took the assignment for a couple of days. Shockingly to me, he stated that the assignment was some of the most intense flying he had done. Really nice guy. R.I.P.
Juan, I lost a dear friend to an aerobatic accident several years ago..A superb pilot who was always on top of his game.. a tradjedy and so sad..thank for documenting this and maybe it will prevent a future accident..Gods speed to the pilots and their families..
I have not seen Nick in probably 30 years, he was a school chum and had flying in his blood. I remember him as just an all-around nice guy. I extend my deepest sympathy to the families and loved ones of both pilots.
Never realized how many small aircraft crash on a regular basis till I started regularly watching your channel. Honestly kinda blows my mind. Love your videos, you do an excellent job of explaining things.
They fall out of the sky like rain. Especially, for some reason, in Southeast Texas. Huntsville, Harris County, Sabine, for some reason this part of the country is badly afflicted by general aviation crashes.
Moving things crash. Simple as that. I'd like to see the per capita numbers comparing motorcycle, automobile, GA aircraft, helicopters, etc crashes. I always hear General Aviation is safer per capita, but I've never seen the comparison numbers.
@@branchandfoundry560General aviation has many mishaps, but not commercial aviation. There's a huge difference between these in overall safety. You rarely ever hear of a fatal accident involving a major airline anymore, and they fly thousands of times per day. Moving things don't have to crash. It happens when enough mistakes are made.
I didn't see the collision, but I heard it, looked up and saw them going down. Barrons Revenge's tail was gone, and he was nose down. It was obvious that he wasn't going to make it. The sky looked like confetti made of foil as the debris floated down. Six Cat I don't understand. After the collision, he kept flying straight and looked like he was leveling off. I thought he was going to be able to make an emergency landing, but then suddenly the nose dipped down, and the plane never recovered. The only thing I could think of is that the pilot was unconscious and the fact that it kept flying was simply due to the physics of the aircraft, but that is purely speculation from my angle. I guess they found pieces of Barron’s tail imbedded in Six Cat’s windshield. That was the 4th crash I've witnessed at the Reno/Stead Airport. These are brave men and women because they all know the stakes are very high, but they choose to fly anyway. I hate that the Reno Air Races ended this way. I watched both teams receive the trophies on behalf of the pilots, and it broke my heart.
@sjb3460 I saw the Galloping Ghost crash into the stands in 2011. Lucky for me I was on the other side of the stands when it happened. I saw the jet crash last year. I saw this one. And the fourth one I saw was related to the air races but it was a different time of year. Two mustangs and another plane were up for about an hour circling in formation for a photo shoot to promote the 2020 air races I believe, but I could be wrong on the year. It was sometime around then though. Give or take. It was getting dark and they were coming in for a landing. I don't know what happened, but suddenly I hear mayday mayday mayday over the radio. Next thing I know there's a mustang upside down right off the runway and he was killed as well.
@sjb3460 - reading the report now, I am beyond baffled at some of the decisions made with Galloping Ghost. I can't even be sure I'd call them engineering decisions. Along with that and the pilot's er, paperwork discrepencies... it feels like he viewed some things as a bit of a box ticking exercise rather than as serious requirements?
From the top of Grandstand C I saw them coming straight down (right after the collision) in a loose two-ship type formation, as if I was looking down at them from above. I didn’t notice any flutter or spin. Since they were initially higher I thought they were doing some aerobatics, then I saw them get closer to the ground and knew that was not a maneuver, and they hit the ground. Hardly any dust at all, in fact it was hard to place the impact point of the hit/tail-less T6 as it had hardly any dust cloud from the impact. Two souls lost instantly, and I immediately started praying for their friends and family, and that no one was hurt on the ground. Thank you Juan.
Your descriptions and background to this is very helpful, as perhaps a lot of us GA pilots don't know how races are organized and the rules/etiquette they are following. Great explaining as usual thank you 🙂
Excellent explanation as always. Several years ago i had a near miss with a company pilot spraying nearby fields. We were both very experienced and talking to each other. We have not talked about it since, but i still think about it. I would not spray that close again with anyone except under very controlled boundaries. Two pros, doing everything right, still screwed up. When we live on the edge, occasionally someone will fall off. It is tragic, but it is the fact. I'm about ready to hang up my flying hat because ive been on the edge too long. To the families and crews: Mourn for your loss but not theirs. They went out doing what they loved.
It's tough. Ten years ago (in a different form of racing) I was on Team USA and qualified for World Championships, but injury kept me from going. I survived a couple "should have killed me" crashes. It's a real mind-f*%k to stare at a coming impact and think, "So, this is how it ends." Extreme calm and shear terror all at once. Bitter sweet to be removed from that world and know my best days are behind me now. I get the sentiment of going out doing what you loved. Just the same, I'm glad I'm still here and (hopefully) have years more to live, more to accomplish.
I grew up in Lemmon Valley. In the late 80's through mid 90's. ( the dry lake to the east of ariport). I was witness to many failures, and off runway landings. I was even first on scene twice to aid pilots. This was the thing to do, on hourse back or on dirt bikes, when living in the area during race week. I never had to witness a fatality. I am grateful for this. I am so sorry for the family's of these pilots and the aviation community as a whole.... Blue Sky's
I’ve lived a mile south of Reno-Stead airport since 2000. I was at the air races that morning with my pilot son, and he remained until the end and saw what Juan saw; the black T6 spiraling in. There have been so many crashes related to that airport dating back to its time as an Air Force base. I’m wondering; someone must have produced a map showing the locations of the crashes sprinkled around Lemmon Valley. It would be interesting to see!
When I was a rock climber almost all accidents happened with the very inexperienced and the very experienced. The middle of the pack climbers tended to be more paranoid and took less risks and assumptions.
@@knockeledup - That was a great comment, IMHO. I wonder if everyone has it to some degree. It's a great thing for me to meditate on. I had the best dog that ever existed, BTW.
We’re warned about the same thing on the ground crews at our local airport. Accidents happen most frequently to the new employees or the extremely experienced staff.
Reminds me of the airshow crash with the B-17 and the King Cobra. High wing up and you can't see what's there. Juan thanks cause your the guy I go to for explanations of these crashes
40 years ago I worked with and later for a guy who had a Cessna 175. I was a fresh A&P who decided to keep working on trucks rather than full time on GA aircraft and we worked for the same trucking company. He was a true aviation enthusiast and never needed an excuse to leave his Compton airport base and go to a local airport for lunch, dinner or just coffee. One Saturday afternoon we decided to go to Whiteman in the San Fernando valley for a long forgotten reason. Whiteman is uncontrolled and he announced pattern entry, downwind, base, final and we were of course monitoring all the other Unicom traffic as best we could. At about 3/4 mile final a voice comes on the radio "There's two airplanes on short final at Whiteman". The other plane immediately announced he was going around and pulled level about a quarter mile ahead of us. That's when we could see him. We had been following him directly in line for the whole final and didn't see him against the ground clutter until his relative position changed in our sight. That was a vivid example to me of how you can't ever be too careful and vigilant. Neither one of us in our plane was being complacent or lazy, we just didn't see the other plane.
@@robertberin4872 There's no tower. Whiteman is an uncontrolled field. Pilots declare their intentions on the unicom channel and everyone has to be paying attention to what is going on.
As a Controller who worked in Race Control for 10+ years (was not there this year) we DO clear the T6’s to land once they report base with gear…. Race Control also tracks aircraft (or should be doing) through out the entire landing phase…..
@@robertberin4872 Being a former Race Controller at NCAR I need to point out that you are mistaken. Race Controllers are not certified as CTOs (Control Tower Operator) by FAA. Many do have experience in Air Traffic Control, but there is no requirement for them to be certified. Now if that same person is operating as an Air Traffic Controller for "Stead Tower" they are required to obtain a temporary certification to actively control traffic and issue clearances. "Stead Tower" is only responsible for those aircraft that are not subject to the waiver that race participants operate under.
I was there as media. We were out at turn two "in the desert". I have shots of the two guys heading away from us. Time stamp on the photo says minutes before mishap. After the T6 event, we were waiting for the next class up & of course the Unlimiteds, to crown the weekends events. And we waited. Someone had a radio monitoring show traffic & came up to us stunned. He said there were two fatalities. He knew those guys. When the bus picked us up, we were told the event was canceled. The FAA/NTSB & fire dept, had given them permission to continue. The families of the deceased were also saying, "lets let them finish". The group leaders must have decided that it was over. Too much distraction & sorrow to continue other than a parade lap. Very somber group in the bus when leaving.
A great, first-person narrative by 'dswiger'! The baying, blood-thirsty crowds were waiting for the main event -- just as in the Roman Colosseum, so many centuries ago...
@@MichaelOfRohan ...so what's your point? The cool down is a part of the race so that the pilot can let the adrenaline subside, calm his nerves, and transition to "normal" flying.
1 T6 stall spin at Oshkosh. 2 more at Reno. My Condolences to all who knew the souls involved. I am not a pilot, just love watching airplanes and the miracles of flight. Thank you , Juan Browne.
I was on Osage Road at a watch party, didn’t see the collision but did see the pieces fall from the lead aircraft and saw both aircraft fall just as you explained. Sad day for everyone.
Having seen the image of Baron's Revenge just moments before impacting the ground, the damage seen on the plane tells a horrifying story. It's an image I wish I wouldn't have seen.
Where did you see the image? I guess one positive of accidents at high profile events is there's lots of videographers, live streamers, and photographers to capture the event.
This was my first/last year attending Reno. I'm a huge av fan and lover of all things racing. With that said, I came away from the event thinking it is an absolute miracle more people haven't died doing this. One of the few events I've attended where safety is in place only for the reason of preventing the preventable. In air racing, there are huge risks that aren't preventable and are just the nature of the sport. For me, it's up there with how NASCAR used to race with next to no safety equipment and we look back on it thinking they were crazy. Air Racing is the same way, but in 2023.
@ dermick- I wonder if (after race events) when you call out base/final, throw in your airspeed. Might be helpful info for the following pilots to adjust follow distance? Admittedly talking out of ignorance- non pilot
I realize that it takes time but I really hope this leads to a change in the rules to require aircraft to enter a holding pattern and clearance to land. Regardless of competence, currency, and tradition; we need a process in place that provides for a controlled completion of a race. We start these races with a lead aircraft and a spotter and end with a freeforall. These races are physically and mentally demanding and the more variables we can remove from the equation, the better. The end of the race should be just as structured (if not more so) as the start of the race.
As a non-pilot, aviation newb, I don't understand why that kind of thing wouldn't have been in place years ago or even always? I have a beginning interest in this event, but reading comments and listening to Blanco does suggest that your "free-for-all" word is descriptive... why would that still be a thing today with the regulations/tech etc we have today? Free-for-all sounds like something from the early days, barnstormers etc.
@@carloscortes5570 My thoughts exactly. Seems quite the challenge to watch for right side traffic as you're turning left. I understand Juan saying, it would take too much time. But how much time does crash cleanup & investigation take? More than controlled landing sequence, I'd bet!
Great video. Thanks for getting some info out there. As a former CFI I think a lot can be learned and shared to other instructors about pattern work with their student. When I had a student starting a left base I always told them to take a hard look to the right and vice versa. Prayers to the family.
Hi Juan and all. I don't understand how 6-cat caught up to Baron's Revenge so quickly that he could overtake and impact him. looking forward to more about this. RIP to the pilots and peace to the families.
@@martinboland7873 So 6-cat wasn’t landing? If they were not, and doing a cooling off lap instead i would assume they be climbing to 2,000 AGL. If they were landing they both would be slowing down. My guess this is what he was asking
Based on the relative angles that Juan showed, it looks like Nick cut the pattern. He reported abeam on downwind over 20 seconds after Chris did, but just 4 seconds before Chris reported turning base and lowering his landing gear. If Nick had been flying the proper pattern, Chris would have been at about 11 O'clock when Nick called abeam, and moving toward the left. If Nick cut the pattern, Chris was under his nose, out of sight, while he set up to turn base.
@@SoloPilot6 This is what makes the most sense to me. Baron's Revenge was parallel the fence on the west side of the field, ("Base"?). Six Cat seemed like he was still downwind of 08. Somehow they met. Seems like Six Cat did a much tighter pattern than Baron's Revenge did.
The only Reno race i attended was over 30 years ago and there was a fatal right in front of me of one of those shoestring racers, in front of the pilots family, so sad and im praying for the families.
Your videos are always spot on. It consistently feels like I'm sitting in an NTSB briefing. The loss of life is extremely tragic but I always hope someone watches this and gets valuable knowledge to take away, maybe even saving their life
Thank you for a sympathetic and time taken piece to provide such a well explained report based on the facts known so far. Such a tragic end to the Reno Legend - my thoughts are with the Air Race Community you have over there. May Air Racing rise again and race in the memory of all who have fallen in the sport's past
Thanks for the update Juan. It was the hardest one of your reports for me to watch so far. I could tell it wasn't easy for you to create as well. Keep up your wonderful work!
Such a shame that this happened at the final Reno Air Race! When I used to fly in crowded Los Angeles airspace, my biggest fear was having a mid-air collision. Of course the very day after I got my pilot's license, there was a mid-air in the practice area involving 2 aircraft and killing 3 people. I overflew the salvage operations...such an eerie feeling. Stay safe out there!!!
I think it's fitting for the final air race. I swear every time I went someone crashed or died. Doesn't bother me though. Those boomers knew the risks.
What appears to be a common denominator to me when looking at this accident and a similar scenario at the Texas air show involving the B-17 is that there’s inadequate air traffic control at these events. Some will ask what is enough ATC at these events when you have a ground controller and possibly an overhead controller? I don’t have all the answers but something needs to be done to better inform pilots of aircraft positions in the pattern. Relying just on visual and radio call outs of positions doesn’t appear to be working.
I was in the H1 section of the grandstands and did in fact see the collision and both planes fall out of the sky as well as their impacting the ground. Your example with the models of the impact is pretty spot on to what I saw. It was a horrific thing to witness. I only saw this because I was following the winner in the pattern to watch what would've been his triumphant touchdown which I was wanting to get a picture of. I wish I'd never seen it. May they both rest in peace.
I have always loved anything that flies, birds and airplanes, one thing I have always heard from pilots and I drill into all of my daughters heads is " Situational awareness ". It not only helps in flying but also life . They now sleep in death and will awaken for God's paradise earth. We will keep all of the families and fans in our prayers.
Hoot Gibson said in one interview on his air racing that he felt quite safe because in the classes he raced in the planes competing were of different types, that he would have been more uncomfortable in a class of evenly matched planes of the same type because that meant a lot more potentially dangerous struggles for positions.
Hoot Gibson nearly lost his life in a mid-air collision while racing. Apparently the pilot who hit him had poor or no vision in his left eye and should never have been flying at all, but was willing to risk his own and other pilots' lives to get his yeehaws.
In car racing, they almost never use the same kind of car for everyone, because they're all the same performance and that's very boring for the crowd. People want to see Ferrari vs. Mercedes and so on.
Thanks Juan for another excellent evaluation. Condolences to family and friends of both flyers lost. I can't help but think about times I've landed with the sun shining directly into my eyes. Lite colors on any airplane is difficult to see, and be seen.
I was in Reno. This reminds me when I fly since then as an aerobatic FI, to check previous and next aircraft in the pattern more thouroughly than ever. Thanks for the video.
I was there to witness the accident as well. I was further down the street and saw it come down about 1000ft from where I was standing. It was a tragic way to end the final race in Reno, and I really hope it doesn't end it for good. This sport definitely has an inherent danger to it, but the community is unlike any other I have ever had the chance to be a part of and I hope it has the chance to continue on.
this needs to stop, this event is not worth it. enough is enough, the sponsors of the event make their millions while people keep dying on this death match.
Why? Because you think so? Do you race in it? Who are you to speak for these pilots? Piss off with your cancel culture, fun sponging little clown opinions. Racers know the risks and the audacity of you telling them what they need to do is amazing. Enjoy your vegan tofu you're having for dinner.
@@lcfflc3887Those people do it because they want to. Nobody is forcing them into it. It’s not a job, it’s not a mob, it’s a choice. Just because there is a race doesn’t mean anyone is forced to participate.
@@lcfflc3887 yeah with that philosophy let’s put a complete stop to all activities that have any inherent risk or danger associated. Sounds like a fun way to live life
Thank you for this great video explaining and showing what happened. I was at the air races on Saturday with my brother and father in law. Heard about this crash soon after it happened. Very sad that this happened.
Thanks for the info Juan on a tragic incident. Condolences to the families and friends of the two pilots. Feels really ironic to press the like button though.
It was sounding just like the P-63 Kingcobra and the B-17. Banked in a turn, downward visibility blocked for the high aircraft. Still can't believe there is no video however.
@@Mikeylikesit1968 The P-63 Kingcobra, not Airacobra as mentioned above, failed to maintain visual separation from the B-17 when it went "belly up" to the B-17.
@@MrCarGuyI was there filming, and I can tell you now, I've never, in the 11 years I've been going, filmed the cool down lap. I'll take pictures as they land in front of the Pylon, and sometimes further up, but I don't think anyone was focusing on it. I personally was reviewing photos and footage waiting for them to land. I'm sure there is footage from a go pro onboard one of the T-6s or something, but I doubt the crowd has anything.
Most excellent and appropriate report. I have seen the one image you reference at the end, with the tailess Baron's Revenge in nose down vertical free fall with propeller strikes in full evidence on the left wing. No words for this. So sad. And ever do you emphasize learning points -- must always pay attention to the interval aircraft and incessant situational awareness. Thank you.
I’m sure the race community will refine the recovery / cool off procedure to make things safer. Very good point about the sun. Thanks JB for a great explanation and to Brian for the footage.
From what I saw, and based off of what you said/showed from Brian's stream, it almost looked like Six Cat's downwind was a lot closer to 08 than Baron's Revenge's was. From my pov, Baron's Revenge was parallel the fence, and Six Cat was downwind for 08. Neither appeared to be maneuvering or turning at all, but maybe I just couldn't see from my pov. They were both just (apparently) flying straight and level into one another. I was directly underneath the incident. EDIT: Someone else paraphrased this as "Six Cat flew a tighter pattern than Baron's Revenge" and that's pretty much what I'm trying to say here. Baron's Revenge was on base parallel the west fence. Six Cat was "downwind" yet somehow they hit at a 45 degree angle.
My mind could hardly believe the local Las Vegas news. Family plans kept me from going to this event. Knowing it was the final year of The “Reno Air Races”. It’s so tragic in so many ways. God Speed to the pilots 🙏🙏❣️❣️ ty for helping us painfully understand the details
Thanks Juan, was waiting for your T6 collision analysis, just can't accept how this could possibly happen given pilot's experience, calm clear weather, etc. Just unbelievable... 😢
Nick Macy was my client for years, he was an extremely careful professional man with a keen sense of flying, business family and integrity, I thought so much of him, had a great impact on my life, he was an extremely kind and genuine individual. RIP Nick Macy
Thx juan the best insight and explanation of events. As always .was wondering what kind of speeds they hit during race. Really sad this event occurred and this great event is over . I really hope they can continue with just a great airshow every year in memory Of These Heros.
It’s easy to loose sight of traffic as they tend to blend into the background of rising terrain and houses on downwind for 8. It’s also possible that Macey had a medical issue come up while negotiating the base turn to final. How can a guy who made his living as an ag pilot die in the landing patter at Reno? Ag pilots live close to the earth so they rarely make this kind of mistake. Ag flying is like driving a NASCAR every day, not just on weekends. So sad for both families. We grieve with them.
Thank you Juan, as always, well done. First off, condolences to all the families involved. Secondly, I find it odd that (as of yesterday) no real footage of this incident exists. I'm sure it will surface eventually, but the last year of Reno, thousands of people, live streams, and no-one caught it. No conspiracy nonsense, just odd that it fell through the cracks so to speak. RIP to the pilots, two professionals gone before their time.
If there was a time to save your recording of the race proper, this would have been it. If there was a time to take a minute to stretch after tracking aircraft, this would also be it.
so tragic. seems like when the last lap was completed someone just kinda let their guard down. Sincere condolences to family, loved ones and friends. One can only imagine the grief these folks are going through.
Nick is from my hometown and he probably had more hrs in a radial than any pilot flying, he was a friend, neighbor and a pillar in the community and everyone is devastated by his passing. Godspeed Nick
Redding guy here. Abracadabra is ours, but Nick was always my #2 fav😭
Malin guy here
I'm sorry, but Nick got what was coming. These types of needless deaths will continue as long as we keep letting elderly men fly high demanding/performance airshows. Nick deserved it. He had no business up being up there.
@@t.w.7731I don't think we should keep letting miserable and uninformed people comment of TH-cam videos, but yet here you are. Macy's was/is a respected fixture in a small community, you are a nameless coward on the internet.
@@t.w.7731do you have inside knowledge that his AME doesn’t?
The main takeaway from this crash is that even very experienced pilots can make mistakes. This crash had nothing to do with an air race, but just two aircraft in the pattern. Everyone out there flying a 172 or a Warrior or an SR20 or a tecnam could run into the exact same scenario, which is why it's great to have someone like Mr. Blancolirio reviewing these crashes. Thanks Juan.
I personally think it had everything to do with an air race, emphasis on RACE, 100 foot or whatever off the ground overtaking in a tight, very tight, pattern. With a spectator stand ahead and a housing community to the West.
Condolences to both pilots and their families and the people and children watching; but keep these away from the public or just demonstrate them singularly. It is just an indulgence on beahalf of the pilot owners who I'm sure are helped to defray some costs via the organisation that are the airfield and land owners.
I saw two seperate fatal (pilot only) air show crashes in Ireland in the 80's and a mach 1+ grandstand pass, but I think they were still a lot safer than this type of "show".
@@pomerau I think you missed @dermick point. The crash happened AFTER the race had concluded at pattern altitude, not at race altitude and under normal CTAF pattern conduct of operations. He emphasized that this could happen at any uncontrolled airfield that uses a unicom or CTAF frequency with a pattern. He also emphasized the importance of not losing sight of the interval aircraft that one is following in the pattern.
@@pomerau Just b/c you don't like air races or how they are conducted, doesn't change that this accident took place during pattern operations after the race. After. Not during.
I'm confused. While CTAF is quoted others have stated that there was an Airboss, mini Airboss, observers, and retired ATC controllers in the tower. Others have quoted radio comms from tower "cleared to land". @@warsurplus
@@pomerauHave you ever thought about how the heckler’s veto, or other strategic attacks on people’s interests, might get used to take away whatever you like to spend your time on?
You might think you are safe, but you won’t believe what types of hobbies and activities have been targeted by different governments and activist groups. Once I heard about stamp collecting getting targeted, I realized no one’s loves are safe from others.
I was stationed with Chris at the 146th AW, his loss is a big hit to the Hollywood Guard family.
Agree. Chris was such a great guy and I’ll miss talking to him😞
I was on the roof of a house almost directly below where the pilots collided. Six cat went down in the field less than 400 feet behind us. There is no doubt in our minds he did everything he could to keep the plane away from us. A true hero. He saved me and my family’s life that day. Rest is peace sir.
Wow, says a great deal - thanks for that.
I saw you guys on the roof. Watched Six Cat go down behind the house, behind the horizon. So glad you are all safe.
I was at my brother's house on Coyote Run Court, right behind you, glad you weren't injured by the falling debris.
I grew up 10 miles from Nick on the Oregon side of the border. My father was a competing crop duster with him. He was always a real nice guy. This is tragic and heartbreaking. I loved watching sixcat out practicing.
@@scoutXM thank you. Was very scary. I just want people to know he spared our lives for his.
Godspeed Chris. I served with him in the CA ANG. He flew those T6s for years and I almost went up with him in one. A great pilot and great guy who will be missed.
It will be a closed coffin funeral. Quite often nothing bigger than a cell phone can be found of a human body in these crashes. Flying a very fast airplane less than 200 feet off the ground is a wonderful way to end up as mincemeat.
@@wapiti3750You are aware this accident happened in the pattern, right? He was not going fast and not flying lower than you normally would in the traffic pattern.
@wapiti3750 so glad you were able to make that comment, changed my life, fucking numbnuts...
@@wapiti3750 Tell me youre braindead without actually saying it
@@wapiti3750 What a respectful comment. Not. They cremated his body and flew it back home in a T-6, for what it's worth.
Thanks for the update Juan. We were also in the grandstands, I heard somebody gasp so looked in that direction and saw them both coming down. It was surreal and I will never forget it. My deepest condolences to the crews and families.
It happens pretty much every year.
@@mcpr5971 It even happens in car racing, the difference is that crashes while flying are almost always going to be fatal.
I did not see the collision but I didn't miss it by much as I saw the light colored plane go down first and shortly thereafter the dark plane. I didn't know which planes they were as I was in the grandstand also near section 3. I would swear that the light colored plane's empennage was intact as it headed in, both planes were in nearly perfect planform to me but I could not tell if I was looking at the top or bottom of either plane. I have seen the photo of race 14 with the aft section of the fuselage missing but I wonder if it was lower out of my sight line when it came off.
I'm sad that we have ATC present and technologies available that could have aided this situation, but we don't use them and don't have more rigorous procedures. A very unfortunate pair of lives lost. We can do better.
@@PRC533what Juan doesn’t tell you is this is last race at Reno it’s about time
I had a chance to work the Races this year out on the ramp and was looking forward to visiting with you after the last race but just couldn't find the will after the accident. All of us (me included this year) are part of a close family, especially the guys and gals that have volunteered year after year. The pilots and crews are just as excited about the event as we were. Just ask anyone who was at the AT-6 party Saturday night, my heart aches for them. Great job as always Juan, thanks for helping us fly safe.
Thank you to all the volunteers that have made this historic event possible for so many years. Reno will be sorely missed.
As someone who has never seen this type of flying, I had butterflies in my stomach while watching. My father was a Spitfire pilot during WW2 and did aerobatics before and after the war and photo recon during the war. This flying shows what skill and enormous experience is involved but it's a warning to all that something could happen at any time. I'm so sorry for all those who knew the pilots and their families. Thank ou for explaining this to us.
I shot video of the the actual midair from the Valley of Speed. I was in a private lot on the fence line aproximately 1,000' north of where #14 impacted the ground. I saw #6 flying downwind aproximately 800' south of my position in a wings level attitude. Iooked to the north, aproximately 90 degrees to my left and saw #14 on base, wings level and gear down.
I pivoted my tripod counterclockwise to pick #14 up. He passed over my head at aproximately 800'. I rotated the camera counterclockwise to follow him.I finished my rotation as he continued his base approach towards the runway. Aproximately 3 seconds later, #6 entered the video frame from the left, and about 2 seconds later he impacted #14 from the left and slightly below. There was a puff of smoke as he cut the left aileron off of #14, then more smoke as he cut #14's empennage off. 1.15 seconds after impact, there was a large bang as the sound from the collision reached my position. #6 continued out of frame to the right as #14 slowly spiraled counterclockwise one turn before impacting the ground nose straight down.
I immediately panned the camera to the right and saw #6 impact the ground across the road and near some houses, but didn't capture it. I did capture a small plume of dust rising at the impact site. I then turned back towards the initial crash of #14 and captured two large pieces (wings) from the tail section tumbling slowly to the ground.
From midair to impact was 7.5 seconds for #14, and aproximately 10 seconds for #6 to impact. It's my "guess" that Nick Macy in #6 may have been in incapacitated due to debris hitting his cockpit. His plane was intact (wings and tail still on) after the midair.
I had met Chris Rushing a few years earlier at Reno, and we interviewed him in 2021. I captured his 2019 Gold win from atop his trailer in the pits. Needless to say, my wife and I were totally devastated by the shocking and unnecessary midair.
Did you get all this to the NTSB? Thanks Jb.
@@blancolirio Yes. RARA drove the NTSB & FAA investigators over to us in the Valley less than an hour after the crash to view the footage. On Monday morning, the lead NTSB investigator copied the original clip to his laptop at Stead. So they're set with the footage.
It appears that your video will be very useful in the investigation. Hopefully they will get others coming forward with similar evidence.
Sunday was a long day. I was at my brother's house (last house on Coyote Run Court) watching the racing, but the race had finished so wasn't really paying attention. Heard a loud initial bang looked up to see Barons Revenge in a steep left bank and Six Cat's prop impacting and appearing to sever the tail section on Baron's Revenge. Six Cat immediately made a hard right into a barrel roll over my brother's house and impacted while inverted near vertical 250 yards behind the house. The neighbors behind my brother on White Owl Drive had been up on their roof watching the races and had debris land in their yard. Barons Revenge went down behind the trees so I couldn't tell at the time if it hit any of the houses on Osage or not. Baron's Revenge's tail was recovered from the backyard area of the houses on Osage between Coyote Run Court and White Owl Drive. It appeared Six Cat had "all four corners of the aircraft" and the engine was "turn-in and burn-in" as it went over my brother's house upside down. I'm wondering if Nick had been in-capacitated by the impact from the tail section that separated from Baron's Revenge. Sad to see the races end this way.
It is awful to contemplate that type of injury, but I hope that it was over quickly (I'd hope more that it had never happened) for him. When I saw the relative positions of the (model) planes as shown in the video... surviving that initial impact and dying after the ground impact just doesn't bear thinking about.
I know nothing about this and don't usually watch plane racing but had this suggested to me by youtube... I may be wrong but after seeing some car crashes where the driver had a medical event, it makes me wonder if the rear plane pilot didn't have some kind of medical event and was already incapacitated before he hit the forward plane?
Possible, but extremely unlikely. @@Richard_AKL
I have not commented before on this, preferring to wait for your first detailed report.
This was an absolute tragedy, for the families of the pilots involved, for all those at Reno whether competing or just spectating and for the last edition of the Reno Air Races, not a way for them to be remembered. No words can express their feelings although many will try. Coming from a motorsport background I am always reminded of the signs, "Motorsport is Dangerous". But competitors will always compete, organisers will always organise and spectators will always spectate. It may be trite to say this, but the pilots died doing what they loved.
Thank you JB for this update.
They died flying the pattern. Shouldn't have happened.
Not only trite to say that they died doing what they loved, but foolish. Although no one on the ground was hurt, innocent people in the vicinity were at risk. The FAA should shut down all the vintage aircraft racing, air shows and "fan airplane rides". The entire vintage aircraft community has demonstrated often that it doesn't have what it takes to operate consistently safely.
@vgrof2315 probably best to never go outside, much too dangerous.
@@vgrof2315 It’s about getting a sensible balance of risk. If Juan used to air race, it makes me think it can’t be that bad… I wonder what he thinks about it nowadays…
@@missingsig I would not object if the competitors and organizers didn't put innocent bystanders at risk.
Brian Murray gave us a great look at Reno air racing from the valley of speed that that I don’t believe has ever been done live every day.
RARA has cameras and angles but they are not with constant commentary from someone who is at the camera. Well done Brian, even with the unfortunate ending.
Filming live stream is in a way very difficult to do, and Brian answered many questions along during the week while streaming.
I had the pleasure of flying with Nick Macey for a couple of days as an ATGS many years ago. We had hired his company's Cessna 210 as a call when needed air attack platform. Nicks regular pilot wasn't available, so he took the assignment for a couple of days. Shockingly to me, he stated that the assignment was some of the most intense flying he had done. Really nice guy. R.I.P.
Dan Gryder was critical of both pilots, "these guys can’t even fly and talk on the radio"
Juan, I lost a dear friend to an aerobatic accident several years ago..A superb pilot who was always on top of his game.. a tradjedy and so sad..thank for documenting this and maybe it will prevent a future accident..Gods speed to the pilots and their families..
I have not seen Nick in probably 30 years, he was a school chum and had flying in his blood. I remember him as just an all-around nice guy. I extend my deepest sympathy to the families and loved ones of both pilots.
Never realized how many small aircraft crash on a regular basis till I started regularly watching your channel. Honestly kinda blows my mind. Love your videos, you do an excellent job of explaining things.
They fall out of the sky like rain. Especially, for some reason, in Southeast Texas. Huntsville, Harris County, Sabine, for some reason this part of the country is badly afflicted by general aviation crashes.
Cars are still King in killing people! You will not see car fatalities in the news unless it is spectacular!
Moving things crash. Simple as that. I'd like to see the per capita numbers comparing motorcycle, automobile, GA aircraft, helicopters, etc crashes. I always hear General Aviation is safer per capita, but I've never seen the comparison numbers.
@@branchandfoundry560General aviation has many mishaps, but not commercial aviation. There's a huge difference between these in overall safety. You rarely ever hear of a fatal accident involving a major airline anymore, and they fly thousands of times per day. Moving things don't have to crash. It happens when enough mistakes are made.
Not even a close second to the number of automobile crashes every single day.
I didn't see the collision, but I heard it, looked up and saw them going down. Barrons Revenge's tail was gone, and he was nose down. It was obvious that he wasn't going to make it. The sky looked like confetti made of foil as the debris floated down. Six Cat I don't understand. After the collision, he kept flying straight and looked like he was leveling off. I thought he was going to be able to make an emergency landing, but then suddenly the nose dipped down, and the plane never recovered. The only thing I could think of is that the pilot was unconscious and the fact that it kept flying was simply due to the physics of the aircraft, but that is purely speculation from my angle. I guess they found pieces of Barron’s tail imbedded in Six Cat’s windshield. That was the 4th crash I've witnessed at the Reno/Stead Airport. These are brave men and women because they all know the stakes are very high, but they choose to fly anyway. I hate that the Reno Air Races ended this way. I watched both teams receive the trophies on behalf of the pilots, and it broke my heart.
@sjb3460 I saw the Galloping Ghost crash into the stands in 2011. Lucky for me I was on the other side of the stands when it happened. I saw the jet crash last year. I saw this one. And the fourth one I saw was related to the air races but it was a different time of year. Two mustangs and another plane were up for about an hour circling in formation for a photo shoot to promote the 2020 air races I believe, but I could be wrong on the year. It was sometime around then though. Give or take. It was getting dark and they were coming in for a landing. I don't know what happened, but suddenly I hear mayday mayday mayday over the radio. Next thing I know there's a mustang upside down right off the runway and he was killed as well.
@sjb3460 - reading the report now, I am beyond baffled at some of the decisions made with Galloping Ghost. I can't even be sure I'd call them engineering decisions. Along with that and the pilot's er, paperwork discrepencies... it feels like he viewed some things as a bit of a box ticking exercise rather than as serious requirements?
Thanks for the update, Juan. This must be very emotional for you, having raced at Reno and now witnessing part of this accident. A terrible tragedy.
Never knew he raced, and byplanes by the looks of it. Super cool.
From the top of Grandstand C I saw them coming straight down (right after the collision) in a loose two-ship type formation, as if I was looking down at them from above. I didn’t notice any flutter or spin. Since they were initially higher I thought they were doing some aerobatics, then I saw them get closer to the ground and knew that was not a maneuver, and they hit the ground. Hardly any dust at all, in fact it was hard to place the impact point of the hit/tail-less T6 as it had hardly any dust cloud from the impact. Two souls lost instantly, and I immediately started praying for their friends and family, and that no one was hurt on the ground. Thank you Juan.
Your descriptions and background to this is very helpful, as perhaps a lot of us GA pilots don't know how races are organized and the rules/etiquette they are following. Great explaining as usual thank you 🙂
Such a very sad day and way to wrap up the Reno air races... RIP to the pilots, families and friends..
Excellent explanation as always.
Several years ago i had a near miss with a company pilot spraying nearby fields. We were both very experienced and talking to each other. We have not talked about it since, but i still think about it. I would not spray that close again with anyone except under very controlled boundaries.
Two pros, doing everything right, still screwed up.
When we live on the edge, occasionally someone will fall off. It is tragic, but it is the fact. I'm about ready to hang up my flying hat because ive been on the edge too long.
To the families and crews: Mourn for your loss but not theirs. They went out doing what they loved.
It's tough. Ten years ago (in a different form of racing) I was on Team USA and qualified for World Championships, but injury kept me from going. I survived a couple "should have killed me" crashes. It's a real mind-f*%k to stare at a coming impact and think, "So, this is how it ends." Extreme calm and shear terror all at once.
Bitter sweet to be removed from that world and know my best days are behind me now. I get the sentiment of going out doing what you loved. Just the same, I'm glad I'm still here and (hopefully) have years more to live, more to accomplish.
I grew up watching Nick Macy spray our crops in the summer. Was always a really nice guy. RIP NM.
Was he involved in a crash while cropdusti g??
Thank you, again, for your thorough and unbiased reporting of this tragedy.
Thank you for your analysis of this case.
Truly a tragic end to a iconic event. RIP
I think it also kind of demonstrates why its more dangerous that it's worth.
@@PRC533yeah, it’s not worth it
@@PRC533 Guess your not driving to pick up dinner.
@@vw8886 you're, good God.
@@vw8886 I mean air racing isn't airline travel. The whole safer than walking across the street myth doesn't really apply.
I grew up in Lemmon Valley. In the late 80's through mid 90's. ( the dry lake to the east of ariport). I was witness to many failures, and off runway landings. I was even first on scene twice to aid pilots. This was the thing to do, on hourse back or on dirt bikes, when living in the area during race week. I never had to witness a fatality. I am grateful for this. I am so sorry for the family's of these pilots and the aviation community as a whole.... Blue Sky's
I’ve lived a mile south of Reno-Stead airport since 2000. I was at the air races that morning with my pilot son, and he remained until the end and saw what Juan saw; the black T6 spiraling in. There have been so many crashes related to that airport dating back to its time as an Air Force base. I’m wondering; someone must have produced a map showing the locations of the crashes sprinkled around Lemmon Valley. It would be interesting to see!
When I was a rock climber almost all accidents happened with the very inexperienced and the very experienced.
The middle of the pack climbers tended to be more paranoid and took less risks and assumptions.
Whitewater is the same.
@@awboat - I believe it is a safe blanket assumption for a heckuva lot of things.
Sounds like the Dunning-Krueger effect.
@@knockeledup - That was a great comment, IMHO.
I wonder if everyone has it to some degree.
It's a great thing for me to meditate on.
I had the best dog that ever existed, BTW.
We’re warned about the same thing on the ground crews at our local airport. Accidents happen most frequently to the new employees or the extremely experienced staff.
Reminds me of the airshow crash with the B-17 and the King Cobra. High wing up and you can't see what's there. Juan thanks cause your the guy I go to for explanations of these crashes
40 years ago I worked with and later for a guy who had a Cessna 175. I was a fresh A&P who decided to keep working on trucks rather than full time on GA aircraft and we worked for the same trucking company. He was a true aviation enthusiast and never needed an excuse to leave his Compton airport base and go to a local airport for lunch, dinner or just coffee.
One Saturday afternoon we decided to go to Whiteman in the San Fernando valley for a long forgotten reason. Whiteman is uncontrolled and he announced pattern entry, downwind, base, final and we were of course monitoring all the other Unicom traffic as best we could.
At about 3/4 mile final a voice comes on the radio "There's two airplanes on short final at Whiteman". The other plane immediately announced he was going around and pulled level about a quarter mile ahead of us. That's when we could see him. We had been following him directly in line for the whole final and didn't see him against the ground clutter until his relative position changed in our sight.
That was a vivid example to me of how you can't ever be too careful and vigilant. Neither one of us in our plane was being complacent or lazy, we just didn't see the other plane.
& had FAA been paying attention from the tower they could have prevented this.
@@robertberin4872 There's no tower. Whiteman is an uncontrolled field. Pilots declare their intentions on the unicom channel and everyone has to be paying attention to what is going on.
As a Controller who worked in Race Control for 10+ years (was not there this year) we DO clear the T6’s to land once they report base with gear…. Race Control also tracks aircraft (or should be doing) through out the entire landing phase…..
FAA was manning the towers. This is on them!
@@robertberin4872 Being a former Race Controller at NCAR I need to point out that you are mistaken. Race Controllers are not certified as CTOs (Control Tower Operator) by FAA. Many do have experience in Air Traffic Control, but there is no requirement for them to be certified. Now if that same person is operating as an Air Traffic Controller for "Stead Tower" they are required to obtain a temporary certification to actively control traffic and issue clearances. "Stead Tower" is only responsible for those aircraft that are not subject to the waiver that race participants operate under.
I was there as media. We were out at turn two "in the desert". I have shots of the two guys heading away from us. Time stamp on the photo says minutes before mishap. After the T6 event, we were waiting for the next class up & of course the Unlimiteds, to crown the weekends events. And we waited. Someone had a radio monitoring show traffic & came up to us stunned. He said there were two fatalities. He knew those guys. When the bus picked us up, we were told the event was canceled. The FAA/NTSB & fire dept, had given them permission to continue. The families of the deceased were also saying, "lets let them finish". The group leaders must have decided that it was over. Too much distraction & sorrow to continue other than a parade lap. Very somber group in the bus when leaving.
A great, first-person narrative by 'dswiger'! The baying, blood-thirsty crowds were waiting for the main event -- just as in the Roman Colosseum, so many centuries ago...
Hoot Gibson always said the T6 race at Reno was the only racing he refused to fly. They are always 'too close' throughout the race.
They didnt collide during the race. They collided coming in from the cooldown pattern after the race ended.
The cooldown pattern is another 1000’ up from the landing pattern.
Hoot Gibson…a name I’ve not heard in many years! 💜💜💜
@@MichaelOfRohan ...so what's your point? The cool down is a part of the race so that the pilot can let the adrenaline subside, calm his nerves, and transition to "normal" flying.
🙄
Chris was my pastors friend from Mt. Juliet high school in Tn. Prayers for his family
1 T6 stall spin at Oshkosh. 2 more at Reno. My Condolences to all who knew the souls involved. I am not a pilot, just love watching airplanes and the miracles of flight. Thank you , Juan Browne.
Miracles? Physics of flight
I was on Osage Road at a watch party, didn’t see the collision but did see the pieces fall from the lead aircraft and saw both aircraft fall just as you explained. Sad day for everyone.
Having seen the image of Baron's Revenge just moments before impacting the ground, the damage seen on the plane tells a horrifying story. It's an image I wish I wouldn't have seen.
Where did you see the image? I guess one positive of accidents at high profile events is there's lots of videographers, live streamers, and photographers to capture the event.
@@BigDickMarkI saw the image on the AOPA Flight Safety channel. It’s horrific!
I watched, and there is no such image on their video on this topic. @@Codehead3
@TimJohnsonPhD just type in "at-6 crash reno air races" on google.
@@Heike-- The image was in the AOPA video. He edited it and the image is no longer there. I'm guessing a copyright problem.
This was my first/last year attending Reno. I'm a huge av fan and lover of all things racing. With that said, I came away from the event thinking it is an absolute miracle more people haven't died doing this. One of the few events I've attended where safety is in place only for the reason of preventing the preventable. In air racing, there are huge risks that aren't preventable and are just the nature of the sport. For me, it's up there with how NASCAR used to race with next to no safety equipment and we look back on it thinking they were crazy. Air Racing is the same way, but in 2023.
What kinds of things do you feel would be helpful to make air racing safer?
@@dermick it's inherently dangerous, shouldn't be a thing.
@@dermickchange it to a time trial event to eliminate the possibility of midairs
@ dermick- I wonder if (after race events) when you call out base/final, throw in your airspeed. Might be helpful info for the following pilots to adjust follow distance? Admittedly talking out of ignorance- non pilot
@@dermick What about a seat than can eject? Yes, I know virtually nothing about them.
I realize that it takes time but I really hope this leads to a change in the rules to require aircraft to enter a holding pattern and clearance to land.
Regardless of competence, currency, and tradition; we need a process in place that provides for a controlled completion of a race.
We start these races with a lead aircraft and a spotter and end with a freeforall. These races are physically and mentally demanding and the more variables we can remove from the equation, the better.
The end of the race should be just as structured (if not more so) as the start of the race.
As a non-pilot, aviation newb, I don't understand why that kind of thing wouldn't have been in place years ago or even always? I have a beginning interest in this event, but reading comments and listening to Blanco does suggest that your "free-for-all" word is descriptive... why would that still be a thing today with the regulations/tech etc we have today? Free-for-all sounds like something from the early days, barnstormers etc.
@@andyvisuals Especially after all the recent crashes at air shows featuring older aircraft.
I totally agree!! I commented on that in the first video..mandatory cool off pattern then one at a time longer downwind stretch etc..
@@andyvisuals Because it always worked before. Somebody has to die before things change in aviation it seems.
@@carloscortes5570 My thoughts exactly. Seems quite the challenge to watch for right side traffic as you're turning left. I understand Juan saying, it would take too much time. But how much time does crash cleanup & investigation take? More than controlled landing sequence, I'd bet!
Great video. Thanks for getting some info out there. As a former CFI I think a lot can be learned and shared to other instructors about pattern work with their student. When I had a student starting a left base I always told them to take a hard look to the right and vice versa. Prayers to the family.
Hi Juan and all. I don't understand how 6-cat caught up to Baron's Revenge so quickly that he could overtake and impact him. looking forward to more about this. RIP to the pilots and peace to the families.
All Planes slow down to land.
@@martinboland7873 So 6-cat wasn’t landing? If they were not, and doing a cooling off lap instead i would assume they be climbing to 2,000 AGL.
If they were landing they both would be slowing down.
My guess this is what he was asking
Based on the relative angles that Juan showed, it looks like Nick cut the pattern. He reported abeam on downwind over 20 seconds after Chris did, but just 4 seconds before Chris reported turning base and lowering his landing gear. If Nick had been flying the proper pattern, Chris would have been at about 11 O'clock when Nick called abeam, and moving toward the left. If Nick cut the pattern, Chris was under his nose, out of sight, while he set up to turn base.
@@SoloPilot6 This is what makes the most sense to me. Baron's Revenge was parallel the fence on the west side of the field, ("Base"?). Six Cat seemed like he was still downwind of 08. Somehow they met. Seems like Six Cat did a much tighter pattern than Baron's Revenge did.
Six Cat lost sight of him bottom line. At that point what is the correct action?
The only Reno race i attended was over 30 years ago and there was a fatal right in front of me of one of those shoestring racers, in front of the pilots family, so sad and im praying for the families.
Outstanding video and presentation
Your videos are always spot on. It consistently feels like I'm sitting in an NTSB briefing. The loss of life is extremely tragic but I always hope someone watches this and gets valuable knowledge to take away, maybe even saving their life
Thank you for a sympathetic and time taken piece to provide such a well explained report based on the facts known so far. Such a tragic end to the Reno Legend - my thoughts are with the Air Race Community you have over there. May Air Racing rise again and race in the memory of all who have fallen in the sport's past
Juan, thank you for helping us to understand these tragedies!
Thanks for the update Juan. It was the hardest one of your reports for me to watch so far. I could tell it wasn't easy for you to create as well. Keep up your wonderful work!
Such a shame that this happened at the final Reno Air Race! When I used to fly in crowded Los Angeles airspace, my biggest fear was having a mid-air collision. Of course the very day after I got my pilot's license, there was a mid-air in the practice area involving 2 aircraft and killing 3 people. I overflew the salvage operations...such an eerie feeling. Stay safe out there!!!
I just turn tcas off... not really
I think it's fitting for the final air race. I swear every time I went someone crashed or died. Doesn't bother me though. Those boomers knew the risks.
@@daytonasixty-eight1354 It didnt, you know it didnt. Quit being stupid. It doesnt look good on you.
What appears to be a common denominator to me when looking at this accident and a similar scenario at the Texas air show involving the B-17 is that there’s inadequate air traffic control at these events. Some will ask what is enough ATC at these events when you have a ground controller and possibly an overhead controller? I don’t have all the answers but something needs to be done to better inform pilots of aircraft positions in the pattern. Relying just on visual and radio call outs of positions doesn’t appear to be working.
I was in the H1 section of the grandstands and did in fact see the collision and both planes fall out of the sky as well as their impacting the ground. Your example with the models of the impact is pretty spot on to what I saw. It was a horrific thing to witness. I only saw this because I was following the winner in the pattern to watch what would've been his triumphant touchdown which I was wanting to get a picture of. I wish I'd never seen it. May they both rest in peace.
I have always loved anything that flies, birds and airplanes, one thing I have always heard from pilots and I drill into all of my daughters heads is " Situational awareness ". It not only helps in flying but also life . They now sleep in death and will awaken for God's paradise earth. We will keep all of the families and fans in our prayers.
Great report. You explain perfectly what happened. Thank you!
Hoot Gibson said in one interview on his air racing that he felt quite safe because in the classes he raced in the planes competing were of different types, that he would have been more uncomfortable in a class of evenly matched planes of the same type because that meant a lot more potentially dangerous struggles for positions.
Hoot Gibson nearly lost his life in a mid-air collision while racing. Apparently the pilot who hit him had poor or no vision in his left eye and should never have been flying at all, but was willing to risk his own and other pilots' lives to get his yeehaws.
Hoot lost half his wing and was lucky to keep control and land successfully.
Hoot specifically mentioned the T-6s in that interview. I thought of him when this crash occurred.
In car racing, they almost never use the same kind of car for everyone, because they're all the same performance and that's very boring for the crowd. People want to see Ferrari vs. Mercedes and so on.
The same applies for Nascar and restrictor plate racing. The pack is only feet apart running at almost 200 mph. One slip and they all hit the wall.
Thanks Juan for another excellent evaluation. Condolences to family and friends of both flyers lost.
I can't help but think about times I've landed with the sun shining directly into my eyes. Lite colors on any airplane is difficult to see, and be seen.
Thank you Capt. Brown for update. Merry Christmas
I was in Reno. This reminds me when I fly since then as an aerobatic FI, to check previous and next aircraft in the pattern more thouroughly than ever. Thanks for the video.
I was there to witness the accident as well. I was further down the street and saw it come down about 1000ft from where I was standing. It was a tragic way to end the final race in Reno, and I really hope it doesn't end it for good. This sport definitely has an inherent danger to it, but the community is unlike any other I have ever had the chance to be a part of and I hope it has the chance to continue on.
this needs to stop, this event is not worth it. enough is enough, the sponsors of the event make their millions while people keep dying on this death match.
@@lcfflc3887 please, dont
Why? Because you think so? Do you race in it? Who are you to speak for these pilots? Piss off with your cancel culture, fun sponging little clown opinions. Racers know the risks and the audacity of you telling them what they need to do is amazing. Enjoy your vegan tofu you're having for dinner.
@@lcfflc3887Those people do it because they want to. Nobody is forcing them into it. It’s not a job, it’s not a mob, it’s a choice. Just because there is a race doesn’t mean anyone is forced to participate.
@@lcfflc3887 yeah with that philosophy let’s put a complete stop to all activities that have any inherent risk or danger associated. Sounds like a fun way to live life
Thank you for this great video explaining and showing what happened. I was at the air races on Saturday with my brother and father in law. Heard about this crash soon after it happened. Very sad that this happened.
Thank you for putting this up my heart is broken for all involved Gods Peace and Blessings
Thanks for the update and explanation of these tragic events.
Thanks for the info Juan on a tragic incident. Condolences to the families and friends of the two pilots. Feels really ironic to press the like button though.
It was sounding just like the P-63 Kingcobra and the B-17. Banked in a turn, downward visibility blocked for the high aircraft. Still can't believe there is no video however.
There were so many people that it's unlikely there isn't footage
@@Mikeylikesit1968 The P-63 Kingcobra, not Airacobra as mentioned above, failed to maintain visual separation from the B-17 when it went "belly up" to the B-17.
@smark1180 Wrong, was the airboss that made him fly into the B-17. Read the ntsb report.
@@MrCarGuyI was there filming, and I can tell you now, I've never, in the 11 years I've been going, filmed the cool down lap. I'll take pictures as they land in front of the Pylon, and sometimes further up, but I don't think anyone was focusing on it. I personally was reviewing photos and footage waiting for them to land. I'm sure there is footage from a go pro onboard one of the T-6s or something, but I doubt the crowd has anything.
@@Mikeylikesit1968 It's your claim, you prove it.
TY the update Juan. Condolences to all involved.
R.I P....Chris and Nick...unfortunate accident..
Thx Juan for your analysis of thid mid-air...
That’s crazy!
So sad.
Great description with your models.
Thanks for your great reporting Juan. Those are accidents waiting to happen.
Thanks Juan for the breakdown. This is so terrible. As you said, a reminder to keep eyes out in the pattern.
My deepest condolences to all families involved. Thankyou for your service to avaition
Most excellent and appropriate report. I have seen the one image you reference at the end, with the tailess Baron's Revenge in nose down vertical free fall with propeller strikes in full evidence on the left wing. No words for this. So sad. And ever do you emphasize learning points -- must always pay attention to the interval aircraft and incessant situational awareness. Thank you.
I’m sure the race community will refine the recovery / cool off procedure to make things safer. Very good point about the sun. Thanks JB for a great explanation and to Brian for the footage.
My condolences to all and as always thanks for your thoughts on this Juan 👍
Thanks for posting this. I have read news reports about the accident but wasn't sure what was going on. Thanks for clearing things up.
Having been involved in a midair back in the 80’s, these events are very sobering. RIP to the Aviators.
From what I saw, and based off of what you said/showed from Brian's stream, it almost looked like Six Cat's downwind was a lot closer to 08 than Baron's Revenge's was. From my pov, Baron's Revenge was parallel the fence, and Six Cat was downwind for 08. Neither appeared to be maneuvering or turning at all, but maybe I just couldn't see from my pov. They were both just (apparently) flying straight and level into one another. I was directly underneath the incident.
EDIT: Someone else paraphrased this as "Six Cat flew a tighter pattern than Baron's Revenge" and that's pretty much what I'm trying to say here. Baron's Revenge was on base parallel the west fence. Six Cat was "downwind" yet somehow they hit at a 45 degree angle.
My mind could hardly believe the local Las Vegas news. Family plans kept me from going to this event. Knowing it was the final year of The “Reno Air Races”. It’s so tragic in so many ways. God Speed to the pilots 🙏🙏❣️❣️ ty for helping us painfully understand the details
Your account us exactly how I saw it in Section 3 as well. Nick was our 2nd hometown hero next to #50 :(
Another excellent analysis from Juan. You are incredibly valuable to the aviation community. Thank you.
Thanks Juan, was waiting for your T6 collision analysis, just can't accept how this could possibly happen given pilot's experience, calm clear weather, etc. Just unbelievable... 😢
Another EXCELLENT report Juan. Keep up the good work.
Thanks. Very sad. Condolences to the families and friends of the pilots.😢
Went to the Reno air races twice. Thank you from Amsterdam for your explanation, Juan. My condolences to the families and friends of these pilots.
So very sad to hear this happened. Condolences to the families.
Nick Macy was my client for years, he was an extremely careful professional man with a keen sense of flying, business family and integrity, I thought so much of him, had a great impact on my life, he was an extremely kind and genuine individual. RIP Nick Macy
The pain in your voice is palpable. Sorry for your losses. Very sad ending for everyone. RIP. Thank you for this clear description.
Thx juan the best insight and explanation of events. As always .was wondering what kind of speeds they hit during race. Really sad this event occurred and this great event is over . I really hope they can continue with just a great airshow every year in memory
Of These Heros.
It’s easy to loose sight of traffic as they tend to blend into the background of rising terrain and houses on downwind for 8. It’s also possible that Macey had a medical issue come up while negotiating the base turn to final. How can a guy who made his living as an ag pilot die in the landing patter at Reno? Ag pilots live close to the earth so they rarely make this kind of mistake. Ag flying is like driving a NASCAR every day, not just on weekends. So sad for both families. We grieve with them.
This tragedy illustrates why we'll never have flying cars. Thanks for the analysis.
It really boils down to a single split second of situational awareness….RIP
Thank you Juan, as always, well done. First off, condolences to all the families involved. Secondly, I find it odd that (as of yesterday) no real footage of this incident exists. I'm sure it will surface eventually, but the last year of Reno, thousands of people, live streams, and no-one caught it. No conspiracy nonsense, just odd that it fell through the cracks so to speak. RIP to the pilots, two professionals gone before their time.
If there was a time to save your recording of the race proper, this would have been it. If there was a time to take a minute to stretch after tracking aircraft, this would also be it.
Agreed@@chrisschack9716
so tragic. seems like when the last lap was completed someone just kinda let their guard down. Sincere condolences to family, loved ones and friends. One can only imagine the grief these folks are going through.
Honored sir for your professional instructional reporting "... if you're making a lefthand turn for landing... check for traffic off to your right..."
Thank you very much for your commentary.
Nick Macy was one of my best friends boss at Macy,s Crop Dusting Business
Thanks Juan, I've been waiting to hear what you had to say. Tragic.
wow.... what a tragic set of events.
Thanks Juan for the great overview and professional analysis.
So hard to get my head around this. God bless them.
Even the best, most vigilant pilots may have a momentary lapse or a distraction.
Such an unfortunate accident. Also this footage gives you a much sense of how low they are, impressive. R.I.P. to both of them
Excellent synopsis by Juan, love this channel 👌👌
Thanks for the updates