CNN –
Two pilots were killed when their planes collided Sunday during the National Championship Air Races and Air Show in Reno, Nevada, event organizers said.
“This afternoon at approximately 2:15 p.m., at the end of the T-6 Gold race, two aircraft collided upon landing and both pilots were confirmed deceased,” the Reno Air Racing Association said in a statement posted on Facebook .
In a later statement, organizers identified the two pilots as Nick Macy and Chris Rushing.
“Macy was an experienced pilot and gold winner in the T-6 class. He piloted the Six-Cat and Rushing flew the Baron’s Revenge,” the updated statement said. “The families of both pilots have been notified and relief personnel are on scene to respond to this tragedy.”
No other injuries were reported, it said.
The remaining races have been canceled, organizers said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement sent to CNN that it was investigating the cause of the crash. The agency leading the investigation identified the two planes as a North American T-6G and a North American AT-6B and said they had just completed the race.
“The wreckage of each aircraft came to rest half a mile apart,” the NTSB said, adding that the wreckage would be taken to an off-site facility for analysis.
Organizers said they would work with the NTSB, the Federal Aviation Administration and “all local authorities to determine the cause of the accident and ensure that all of our pilots, spectators and volunteers receive the necessary support during this time.”
The event, which has been held for more than five decades, prides itself on being an “institution for Northern Nevada and aviation enthusiasts from around the world,” according to its website. According to the website, the event has attracted more than a million spectators over the past decade and “generated more than $750 million” to the regional economy.
This is not the event’s first fatal crash. Last year, a pilot died in a plane crash during a race. In 2011, 11 people were killed and more than 60 others were injured when a plane spun out of control and crashed into spectators.