There have been two incidents reported, one during, one after this afternoon's Sport Class heat.
One fatality is known at this time of writing.
Both aircraft are Questaire Ventures, involved in separate accidents during and after the same race, respectively. The first aircraft was in the straightaway when it broke up in front of the grandstands. The pilot has been fatally injured.
That pilot has been identified as Tommy Rose, of Meridian, Mississippi. The aircraft he was flying at the time was the Questaire Venture he purchased earlier this year from Lee Behel, formerly Race 5, and identified through number change as Race 3, "Ramblin' Rose." The aircraft is believed to have entered the wake turbulence of another racer, began porpoising, had the tail detach, then crashed into the ground. Tommy was pronounced dead at the scene at 14:45 (GMT).
Tommy had previously raced his Lancair IV with the same Race number and name. Rose was the owner of Thunder Mustang Race 3, "Thunder Rose," which was sold last year to a new owner. That aircraft suffered a blown engine in 1999 and did not race. Following a number change to Race 69, Lou Meyer flew "Thunder Rose" for Tommy to three first place victories in its first three races, and a second place overall finish in the Gold at R2K. The irony was, that Tommy finished third in the Gold, right behind his own aircraft.
Tommy was the owner of Top Flight Aviation, located in Hickory, Mississippi. He was a major supporter of Sport Class Air Racing and the only two-aircraft owner in Sport Class since its founding. Tommy had raced once yesterday, finishing seventh in a field of eight. Earlier this year, at Oshkosh, Tommy had won all the marbles in this very same aircraft, at EAA AirVenture 2002, in the Sport Class. During that race, which stretched from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, through Dayton, to Oshkosh, Tommy posted an average speed of 284,73 mph.
Tommy had qualified seventh in Sport Class earlier this week in his new Venture, posting a speed of 288.158 mph and a time of 79.57. Tommy leaves a father, Elmer Rose, and three sons, Tom, Tim and Clay.
The second aircraft involved in an accident was attempting to land after the end of the same race, when it veered off the runway at high speed and crashed in the sagebrush.
The pilot of that aircraft has been identified as Michael C. Dacey, a Building Contractor from Pismo Beach, California. Dacey, a Sport Class racer since 1999, was flying his Questaire Venture, Race 71, "Fools Gold." Dacey is being treated for minor injuries. The cockpit remained intact, its strength credited with protecting him during the impact.
Earlier in the week, a third Questaire Venture, Race 6, flown by Rittner Will, flipped on landing. That pilot escaped uninjured
One fatality is known at this time of writing.
Both aircraft are Questaire Ventures, involved in separate accidents during and after the same race, respectively. The first aircraft was in the straightaway when it broke up in front of the grandstands. The pilot has been fatally injured.
That pilot has been identified as Tommy Rose, of Meridian, Mississippi. The aircraft he was flying at the time was the Questaire Venture he purchased earlier this year from Lee Behel, formerly Race 5, and identified through number change as Race 3, "Ramblin' Rose." The aircraft is believed to have entered the wake turbulence of another racer, began porpoising, had the tail detach, then crashed into the ground. Tommy was pronounced dead at the scene at 14:45 (GMT).
Tommy had previously raced his Lancair IV with the same Race number and name. Rose was the owner of Thunder Mustang Race 3, "Thunder Rose," which was sold last year to a new owner. That aircraft suffered a blown engine in 1999 and did not race. Following a number change to Race 69, Lou Meyer flew "Thunder Rose" for Tommy to three first place victories in its first three races, and a second place overall finish in the Gold at R2K. The irony was, that Tommy finished third in the Gold, right behind his own aircraft.
Tommy was the owner of Top Flight Aviation, located in Hickory, Mississippi. He was a major supporter of Sport Class Air Racing and the only two-aircraft owner in Sport Class since its founding. Tommy had raced once yesterday, finishing seventh in a field of eight. Earlier this year, at Oshkosh, Tommy had won all the marbles in this very same aircraft, at EAA AirVenture 2002, in the Sport Class. During that race, which stretched from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, through Dayton, to Oshkosh, Tommy posted an average speed of 284,73 mph.
Tommy had qualified seventh in Sport Class earlier this week in his new Venture, posting a speed of 288.158 mph and a time of 79.57. Tommy leaves a father, Elmer Rose, and three sons, Tom, Tim and Clay.
The second aircraft involved in an accident was attempting to land after the end of the same race, when it veered off the runway at high speed and crashed in the sagebrush.
The pilot of that aircraft has been identified as Michael C. Dacey, a Building Contractor from Pismo Beach, California. Dacey, a Sport Class racer since 1999, was flying his Questaire Venture, Race 71, "Fools Gold." Dacey is being treated for minor injuries. The cockpit remained intact, its strength credited with protecting him during the impact.
Earlier in the week, a third Questaire Venture, Race 6, flown by Rittner Will, flipped on landing. That pilot escaped uninjured