Pilot Killed In Fiery Crash During National Championship Air Races

A pilot was killed in a fiery crash at the 2022 National Championship Air Races and Air Show in Reno, Nevada, on Sunday (September 18) afternoon. Officials have not released the identity of the pilot.

The pilot was on the third lap of the Jet Gold Race when the single-engine Aero L-29 Delfín slammed into the ground behind a residential area near one of the pylons that mark the flight track.

Video of the crash captured the plane disintegrating into a streak of flames as it barreled across the ground.

The rest of the races were suspended due to the horrific crash.

"We express our deepest sympathies to the pilot's family and friends as well as racers and race fans who make up our September family," the Reno Air Racing Association wrote on Twitter.

The cause of the accident has not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said they are sending teams to Reno to assist with the investigation.