VIDEO: Pilot's heart-stopping moment on runway

RENO, NV (KTRK) -- Footage recorded at the National Championship Air Races shows how close a pilot came to literally losing his head.

Thom Richard was stopped on the runway with engine trouble before a race on Sunday. He opened his canopy and signaled that he was excusing himself, but not all the competitors got the message.

Another aircraft came zipping in, just above Richard's head.

Luckily, both pilots were able to walk away from the incident unharmed.

Richard isn't letting the close call keep him out of the cockpit.

"I choose to cross the street because the risk of crossing the street is worth the reward of getting to the other side," Richard said. "Same thing with air racing. I'll be back."

Watch the heart-stopping crash in the video above.