Two victims from Reno air crash identified
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Two people killed after a vintage World War II airplane crashed at the Reno-Stead Airport on Friday have been identified by their families as Michael Wogan, 22, of Arizona, and Greg Morcom, 47. of Washington state.
Their lives intersected in the most tragic of ways Friday, when the plane careened into the VIP box seats at the National Championship Air Races in Reno. Wogan and Morcom were among the nine people killed. The 74-year-old pilot of the P-51 Mustang, Jimmy Leeward, died as well.
Both Wogan and Morcom were making their first trip to the air races, where souped-up planes blast around an air track marked by pylons. Since 1972, 19 pilots have died at what’s essentially a NASCAR race in the sky, but a spectator had never been killed. Morcom’s brother, Ron, who owns an aviation facility, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that his brother died instantly.
Investigators are starting to piece together why Leeward’s Galloping Ghost suddenly pitched upward and then nosedived during a high-speed race, digging out a 3-foot-deep crater in the tarmac and sending 69 people to the hospital. Eight remained in critical condition Saturday night, including Wogan’s father, Bill, who lost his right eye and some fingers.
Full coverage: Deadly crash at Reno air show
Wogan had congenital muscular dystrophy, as did two of his three brothers. He’d recently graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in business and finance and started a social media marketing company, according to the Arizona Republic.
His brothers called him “the Boss,” and Wogan dreamed of buying a condo and creating a “man cave” where they could all hang out.
Wogan also loved movies, the paper said, which was reflected in the last text he sent to his younger brother, James, after he arrived in Reno. “The bowling alley from ‘Kingpin’ is right across from our hotel!” Wogan said.
RELATED:
Reno crash underscores safety concerns
Reno air race fans struggle with crash horrors
Reno air races: Investigators start to piece together wreckage
-- Ashley Powers in Reno