Miss Ashley II
1999: Gary Levitz of Grand Prairie, Texas, P-51 disintegrated during a race, scattering debris and damaging a house.
At the Reno Air Races, in turn 1 of the Saturday Unlimited heat race, lap 1, Gary Levitz piloting Miss Ashley II lost his life when the empenage of the aircraft separated causing the aircraft to break up in flight and impact the ground east of the airport. Levitz, 61, was a 30 year veteran of air racing and was competing in the Gold heat race. This highly modified racer uses a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine with contra-rotating props. It also uses a Learjet wing and highly modified tail section. This aircraft was built strictly for racing.
I think this is the only known photo of the disintegration on the P-51
It was cloudy on Sept 18, 1999 which was the 3rd day of the Reno airrace and I was almost giving up taking photos, but I did take a photo of "Miss Ashly II" N57LR during taxi before the race, and then after the race has started, had the camera on my lap.
I was not paying much attention to the race when a man sitting next to me shouted "Oh Shit !"
I saw some metal pieces in the air. By instant, I was taking a picture.
There were smoke coming up from ground, the fire engine and ambulance raced to the crash site.
Surprisingly the race continued on. I tried to find who is missing - and soon noticed that the twin propeller mustang-based aircraft, Miss Ashley II is missing.
Later on I found out the plane had fallen apart in mid air, it was a single aircraft accident and not a collision as I first thought, and the pilot, Gary Levitz must have died while still in the air.
LinkMiss Ashley II sound (1:30)
Miss Ashley II -- Heat 1C, 1999 Reno Air Races