By R.J. RICO, Associated Press

Two experienced racing pilots deviated from their expected flight paths and never saw each other before their World War II-era planes collided on the final day of the 2023 National Championship Air Races, investigators have concluded.

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a final report Wednesday on the crash at Nevada’s Reno-Stead Airport that killed California pilots Chris Rushing, 65, and Nick Macy, 67, as they prepared to land.

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The report said both pilots failed to fly the standard routes, with one of the pilots taking a wide turn and the other taking a tighter approach. Rushing had just won the T-6 title race at an average speed of 234 mph (376 kph) in his plane named Baron’s Revenge. Macy, in his Six-Cat, had finished second about 15 seconds behind Rushing.

Officials in the control tower had cleared Rushing to land and had also been in contact with Macy, but the report said “operating procedures provided no distinct procedures for tower personnel to provide traffic separation.”

Rushing was likely focused on the runway when Macy approached from the right, and the sun might have been in his eyes if he looked in that direction, the report said. The two collided about 300 feet (91 meters) above the ground.

Aviation industry experts said in the days after the crash they were dumbfounded that such experienced pilots ended up colliding. Toxicology tests showed that neither pilot had abused any drugs.

The collision brought an end to what was to be the celebrated finale of Reno’s run as the home of the national championships since 1964. Including Rushing and Macy, 24 pilots or performers died at the Reno races across those decades, along with 10 spectators who died during a crash on the edge of the grandstand in 2011.

The event is scheduled to return later this month in Roswell, New Mexico.