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BY RAY HAGAR
RGJ.com
An investigation into Saturday's fatal crash of a pilot practicing in a home-built aircraft for the Reno National Championship Air Races will focus on why the wings came off, a federal official said Sunday.
Formula One racer Erica Simpson, 32, of Phillipsburg, N.J., was killed about 9 a.m. while preparing for her second year of competition at Reno Stead Airport.
"She went into a roll. She was demonstrating a roll, and the wings came off," Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. "That is what the investigation will center on."
Simpson, a commercial pilot raised in Port Wing, Wis., competed in the biplane class in 2006. She was flying a single-engine Cassult IIIM on Saturday.
Three pilots were killed in competition during last year's air races. There have been 19 fatalities in the 45-year history of the event.
The danger will prompt FAA officials to take extra precautions before the races begin Wednesday.
"An (FAA) inspector will deliver a safety briefing to race pilots at the beginning of the air races," Gregor said. "Additionally, inspectors will take an even closer look than normal to ensure that any aircraft modifications are authorized and properly documented.
"They do such monitoring regularly, but will be paying even more attention to this matter during this year's event. And finally, we'll be taking an even closer look at pilot records than we normally do."
Four FAA safety officials were present when the crash occurred Saturday, Gregor said.
A tribute to Simpson is planned during the opening ceremonies, organizers said.
Crashes that have plagued the Reno Air Races recently might turn out to be similar to Saturday's accident, Gregor said.
"The National Transportation Safety Board determined that pilot error was a factor in two of the three accidents that occurred during last year's races and that wake turbulence caused the third," he said.
FMI: RGJ.com
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