Air races on despite crash

RENO, Nev. – Organizers of the Reno air race that was the site of a deadly crash in September have decided against canceling the event and are already selling tickets for the 2012 competition despite the wreck that killed 11 people and injured more than 70 spectators on the edge of the grandstand.

Association President Mike Houghton said Wednesday it’s “way too early” to say whether there will be changes to the format of the 49th annual event scheduled for Sept. 12-16 at Reno-Stead Airport.

But he said the association is enlisting a panel of experts, including former National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jim Hall, to help ensure its safety. The panel is to report back in 90 days with any recommended revisions. In the meantime, Houghton said, it’s “business as usual” with a full slate of races on the schedule.

“We already have booked some world-class performers to help us welcome back the world’s greatest pilots,” he said.

“In short, we’re moving ahead,” Houghton told more than 100 supporters, who cheered the announcement at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

Video footage of the deadly crash at the 2011 races showed the P-51 Mustang climbing sharply upward at more than 400 mph, then rolling and plunging nose-first into spectators.

The wreck prompted calls that officials consider ending the event, the only one of its kind in the country.

The NTSB has scheduled a hearing Jan. 10 to examine the safety of air shows and air races in general.