Second Fatal Crash At Air Races In Three Days

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 09.13.07 2145 EDT: Aero-News has received word of a second fatal accident at this week's Reno National Championship Air Races.

Air race president Michael Houghton told KRNV-4 pilot Brad Morehouse of Afton, WY was lost when his L-39 Albatros went down during the second heat of the jet competition Thursday afternoon, at approximately 1425 local time.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, though race officials told the television station initial reports indicate Morehouse's plane may have been caught in the wake of a jet ahead of him.

Competition was suspended Thursday following the crash, although Houghton says he expects the races to resume Friday.

Thursday's accident marks the 17th fatality in the 44-year history of the storied air race competition, and the second in three days. As ANN reported, the pilot of the Rose Peregrine RP-5 biplane was killed when the plane crashed just after takeoff during a practice flight Tuesday night.

Officials later identified that pilot as Steve Dari. His was the first fatal accident at Reno since 2002.

FMI: www.airrace.org