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Early Analysis of Fatal Reno Accident Offers Lessons

The airshow midair offers a sobering reminder that the pattern is no place to let down your guard.

In this photo taken in 2017, the Reno Air Race finish line is marked with the "Reno Column" in the background. [Credit: Shutterstock]
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Key Takeaways:

  • A midair collision involving two highly experienced T-6 Texan pilots, Chris Rushing and Nick Macy, occurred at the Reno Air Races during the post-race cooldown period as they prepared to land.
  • The accident happened near the base-to-final turn for Runway 8 and is currently under investigation by the FAA and NTSB.
  • Potential contributing factors identified include decreased vigilance departing the cooldown area, procedural errors in traffic deconfliction, and diminished visibility.
  • The incident serves as a critical reminder that vigilance must be maintained in crowded airspace, especially during task-saturated phases of flight like landing, regardless of pilot experience or skill.
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One of the first lessons a fledgling pilot learns is to keep your head on a swivel in places where aircraft congregate—such as the airport traffic pattern. The aviation world experienced a painful reminder of this Sunday with a midair collision of two North American Aviation T-6 Texans at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada. 

The pilots, both from California, were identified as Chris Rushing of Thousand Oaks, flying Baron’s Revenge, and Nick Macy of Tulelake, flying Six-Cat. Both Rushing and Macy were arguably two of the most skilled and experienced air race pilots in the world for the class.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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