Failure to see and avoid cause of 2023 fatal Reno accident

The NTSB has released its final report on a fatal accident at the 2023 Reno Air Races.

On the final day of the last air races in Reno, Sept. 17, 2023, veteran T-6 racing pilots Nick Macy, Race 6, and Chris Rushing, Race 14, died in a collision following the T-6 Gold Race.

The agency found the probable cause of the accident as “the failure of both the Race 14 and Race 6 pilots to see and avoid each other while in the airport traffic pattern. Contributing to the accident was both pilots’ failure to fly the standard downwind and base legs.”

Rushing had just won the T-6 title race and Macy had finished second when they entered the traffic pattern for Runway 8 at Reno Stead Airport. 

Several witnesses observed the airplanes collide while Race 14 was on the base leg (a southerly heading) and Race 6 was on the downwind leg (a west-southwest heading), according to the final report.

Witnesses, including Vic McMann, who came in third in the race, told NTSB investigators that Race 14 was on a wide base leg for the runway, while Race 6 was closer in on the downwind leg for the runway.

McMann told investigators that after he completed the race he began a slow left turn to downwind. Just before turning onto downwind, he heard the pilots of Race 14 and Race 6 transmit “downwind, abeam.”

McMann continued to slow his airplane to “create some space and time to see them” as he heard Race 14 transmit “base with gear.” As he got close to turning onto the base leg for the runway, he spotted Race 6, and he transmitted downwind abeam.

He “finally spotted” Race 14 below his position to the right and on the base leg, and saw Race 6 in level flight, to his left, noting both airplanes were not where he expected them to be.

He added that Race 14 was on a “wider base” than the previous two flights, and Race 6 was “tighter” than he was.

Race 14 then crossed in front of his position from the right to the left and disappeared on the right side of the engine cowling, and Race 6 disappeared under his left wing.

Shortly after, he observed Race 14 in level flight, where he expected him to be, but with “nothing behind the passenger seat.” Race 14 then began to roll to the right and descend in a nose-low attitude.

While the exact flight path of each airplane could not be determined, based upon witness and other pilots’ statements, along with Race 14’s radio transmissions, it’s likely that the wider pattern flown by Race 14, and the tighter pattern flown by Race 6, placed Race 14 to the right of Race 6’s flight path, the final report said.

Sun data at the time of the accident showed that the center of the sun’s disk would have been ahead and slightly to the right of Race 14’s flight path, and to the left of Race 6’s flight path, about 50° above the horizon.

The person who was in the Race Control position reported that he was in the control tower providing advisory functions for the T-6 Gold Race. At the conclusion of the race, after the participants had exited the race course, Race 14 reported midfield abeam for Runway 8 (meaning the aircraft was abeam the tower on downwind for Runway 8). He advised Race 14 that he was in the No. 1 position to land. After Race 6 reported midfield abeam, Race Control advised Race 6 that he was following traffic ahead on downwind.

Soon after, other aircraft in the cool-down pattern started to report midfield abeam the tower. He advised them of traffic ahead on the downwind.

Race Control then observed an aircraft falling from the sky about the location of the base leg for Runway 8 and alerted people in the tower. Shortly after, he saw the second airplane falling and hitting the ground.

Given the pilot of Race 14’s transmission “base with gear,” it’s likely that the pilot of Race 6 may have been looking to the left for Race 14, the report continued.

A witness located along the edge of airport property captured audio transmissions during the race. The recording includes various transmissions from Race 14 and Race 6. Although there were multiple unintelligible transmissions, no discernible transmissions regarding a traffic alert from Race Control could be identified, according to the final report.

Standard operating procedures outlined the duties for various positions of personnel in the tower at the time of the race, along with expected radio transmissions by the pilots and tower controller. The operating procedures provided no distinct procedures for tower personnel to provide traffic separation. Additionally, the air boss stated that it was an expectation but there was no written guidance.

To read the full final report, go to NTSB.gov. Clicking on this link will download the final report to your device.