At 16:05 PDT, a custom-designed North American/Rogers BLP-51R named Miss Ashley II crashed during a heat race at the Reno National Championship Air Races. Pilot Gary Levitz was killed when the empennage abruptly separated from the aircraft. The aircraft then pitched down and the left wing separated. The airplane was racing in the Unlimited Gold category, turning around the No. 1 pylon at about 400 feet agl when the failure occurred.
Sept. 18, Reno, Nev. / Miss Ashley II
At 16:05 PDT, a custom-designed North American/Rogers BLP-51R named Miss Ashley II crashed during a heat race at the Reno National Championship Air Races. Pilot Gary Levitz was killed when the empennage abruptly separated from the aircraft. The aircraft then pitched down and the left wing separated. The airplane was racing in the Unlimited Gold category, turning around the No. 1 pylon at about 400 feet agl when the failure occurred....
Key Takeaways:
- Pilot Gary Levitz was killed when his custom-designed North American/Rogers BLP-51R, Miss Ashley II, crashed at the Reno National Championship Air Races.
- The accident occurred during an Unlimited Gold category heat race near the No. 1 pylon, about 400 feet above ground level.
- The crash was caused by the abrupt separation of the aircraft's empennage, leading to a pitch down and subsequent left wing separation.
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