There was no immediate word on how many other people may have died in the crash at the Reno Air Races, although a spokesman for the event called it a "mass casualty situation"

The plane, a P-51 Mustang dubbed the "Galloping Ghost" that was being piloted by Jimmy Leeward, crashed into a box seat area in front of the main grandstand at about 4:20 p.m.

Video apparently taken from the stands and posted on YouTube showed a plane plunging nose-down into the tarmac as spectators were heard gasping: "Oh, my God."

In a June video posted at the website for the air race, Leeward said the Galloping Ghost raced from 1946 to 1950 in the Cleveland Air Races and afterward in other events.

He said his crew cut 10 feet off the plane's length and made other modifications to improve its aerodynamic abilities and reach speeds of 500 mph.

"I know it will do the speed, the systems aren't proven yet. We think they're going to be OK," Leeward said in the video dating from June.