Overview
Two airplanes collided while participating in an air race near an airport. One aircraft (referred to as #1) experienced in-flight separation of its left wing and empennage before crashing into a residence. The other aircraft (referred to as #2) landed at the airport without further incident.
Occurrence
Video recordings of the event, combined with postaccident wreckage examination, revealed the sequence of the collision. Airplane #1 overtook and struck airplane #2's right wing from below. Following the impact, airplane #1 pitched upward, leading to the separation of its empennage and the folding of its left wing. The aircraft then began to cartwheel and spin until it crashed.
Wreckage Examination
The postaccident examination of the wreckage and analysis of video tapes confirmed the collision dynamics. The damage patterns were consistent with airplane #1 impacting airplane #2's right wing from a lower position. The structural failures of airplane #1 occurred sequentially: first the empennage separated, then the left wing folded, precipitating the uncontrolled descent.