FOUR AIR RACE PILOTS KILLED

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32626, 7 June 1971, Page 11

FOUR AIR RACE PILOTS KILLED

(N.Z. Pre«» Association—Copyright; WILDWOOD (New Jersey), June 6.

Four pilots taking part in an air race yesterday were killed when their Second World War trainer aircraft, flying at speeds of 200 miles an hour, crashed to the ground, in view of nearly 10,000 people, after two separate collisions in 15 minutes.

The race, in which there were six T 6 single-engined

monoplanes, was not taking place directly over the crowd Of spectators at the airport at Wildwood, a southern New Jersey seashore resort, and no-one on the ground was injured. The two other aircraft taking part landed safely, although one of them had been involved in the first collision shortly after the start of the race.

The planes were being flown over a tight two miles and a half course, and in close formation, they had to be banked sharply at turns marked by six pylons. In the first accident, one of two planes which collided crashed to the ground and burst into flames killing the pilot.

The race continued, and on the third lap three aircraft collided while banking on the sharpest turn of the course. All three crashed to the ground, one of them catching fire. The three pilots were killed.

The wives and families of all four pilots killed were watching the race. At Quonset Point, Rhode Island, about the . same time, a former United States Navy fighter pilot who was flying in an air show with his son was killed when his propeller - driven, Second World War vintage aircraft crashed and burst into flames. Mr William Fomof, aged 46, a pilot with more than 6000 hours flying time to his credit, and his son, Mr J. W. Fomof, aged 25, were both flying F 8 Bearcats in an ait show to raise funds for the Navy’s Relief Fund. The crash was the second in as many days at the base. On Friday, Commander Harley Hubert Hall, aged 33, the officer in charge of the famous flying team, the Blue Angels, was forced to bail out of his F 4 Phantom jet during a practice session rot the air show. He was ejected safely, and the plane crashed into the bay.