August 21, 2014
Air race president Michael Houghton says Morehouse was killed instantly when his jet crashed about 2:45 p.m. while competing in
the second heat of the jet class competition. The impact touched off a small brush fire along the runway at Stead Airport just north of Reno but firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze.
It marks the 17th fatality in the 44-year history of the races.
Morehouse was the co-owner of Afton Flight Service in Wyoming. He was flying an L-39 Albatross he named "Dino Juice," a jet often used for military flight training.
Race officials say he had finished fourth in Wednesday's qualifying round, reaching a speed of 504 miles per hour.
The cause of the crash is under investigation but race officials say the initial indication was Morehouse may have gotten caught in the wake of a jet he was tailing.
The crash forced the suspension of this afternoon's competition. But Houghton says he expects the races to resume tomorrow.
He says that's what Morehouse would have wanted.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)