This year, the custom-built Shockwave jet “race truck” crashed at the Michigan air show. This custom-built truck was equipped with three jet engines and a combined 36,000 horsepower.
Darnell Racing Enterprises is a pyrotechnics company that performs in air shows and specializes in jet and flash fire trucks. The truck Shockwave truck is one of the most famous jet-propelled trucks in the world and it’s described on its website as “the most powerful truck in the world,” for it was able to reach speeds topping 350 m.p.h. It was modified with three jet engines on the back of the semi, which allowed it to reach and even pass the speeds of some jets.
Chris Darnell, the truck driver and a member of a family that had been part of the air show business, was killed, said the festival’s executive director, Barbara Haluska. The truck lost control on the runway and flipped over, killing Chris. Videos from bystanders show the truck speeding down the runway and splitting into pieces as gasps can be heard from the crowd.
The truck was chasing two airplanes to display the overwhelming speed of the custom design when it crashed. The airplanes were a Zivko Edge 540 piloted by Bill Stein, and a MXS-RH piloted by Rob Holland. The pilots were unharmed in the crash.
After the incident, police in the area said that the remaining events of the air show on Saturday were canceled and rescheduled for the next day. The police also stated that they were looking into the causes of the crash.
In a statement published by Chris’s father, he said the crash was caused by a mechanical failure in the truck. “Chris so loved the Air Show business,” he said. “He was ‘Living the Dream.,” He also stated that he and his family were “so sad,” and Chris was “so well-loved by everyone who knew him.”
This incident will stay in the minds of many people who attended or read about the event. And we can only try to ensure that this type of incident will never happen again.
Links: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chris-darnell-killed-shockwave-jet-truck-crash-battle-creek-field-of-flight-air-show/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/02/us/jet-truck-explosion-michigan-air-show.html?campaignId=6F88R&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2022%2F07%2F02%2Fus%2Fjet-truck-explosion-michigan-air-show.html
Darnell Racing Enterprises is a pyrotechnics company that performs in air shows and specializes in jet and flash fire trucks. The truck Shockwave truck is one of the most famous jet-propelled trucks in the world and it’s described on its website as “the most powerful truck in the world,” for it was able to reach speeds topping 350 m.p.h. It was modified with three jet engines on the back of the semi, which allowed it to reach and even pass the speeds of some jets.
Chris Darnell, the truck driver and a member of a family that had been part of the air show business, was killed, said the festival’s executive director, Barbara Haluska. The truck lost control on the runway and flipped over, killing Chris. Videos from bystanders show the truck speeding down the runway and splitting into pieces as gasps can be heard from the crowd.
The truck was chasing two airplanes to display the overwhelming speed of the custom design when it crashed. The airplanes were a Zivko Edge 540 piloted by Bill Stein, and a MXS-RH piloted by Rob Holland. The pilots were unharmed in the crash.
After the incident, police in the area said that the remaining events of the air show on Saturday were canceled and rescheduled for the next day. The police also stated that they were looking into the causes of the crash.
In a statement published by Chris’s father, he said the crash was caused by a mechanical failure in the truck. “Chris so loved the Air Show business,” he said. “He was ‘Living the Dream.,” He also stated that he and his family were “so sad,” and Chris was “so well-loved by everyone who knew him.”
This incident will stay in the minds of many people who attended or read about the event. And we can only try to ensure that this type of incident will never happen again.
Links: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chris-darnell-killed-shockwave-jet-truck-crash-battle-creek-field-of-flight-air-show/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/02/us/jet-truck-explosion-michigan-air-show.html?campaignId=6F88R&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2022%2F07%2F02%2Fus%2Fjet-truck-explosion-michigan-air-show.html
