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Death Toll Stands at 9 in Reno Air Show Crash

Death Toll Stands at 9 in Reno Air Show Crash

In this Friday, Sept. 16, 2011 photo, a P-51 Mustang airplane approaches the ground right before crashing during an air show in Reno, Nev. The vintage World War II-era fighter plane piloted by Jimmy Leeward plunged into the grandstands during the popular annual air show. (AP Photo/Garret Woodson)

RENO, Nev. (AP) — The scene of Reno‘s air race crash that killed nine people reveals the violence of the plane’s missile-like impact – a crater in the tarmac roughly 3 feet deep and 8 feet across with debris spread out over more than an acre.

From a tour of the site Saturday evening, it appeared that the 1940s-model plane went straight down in the first few rows of VIP box seats, based on the crater’s location.

The plane hit about 65 feet in front of the leading edge of the grandstand where thousands were watching Friday as the planes sped by just a few hundred feet above the ground.

Some members of the crowd have reported noticing a strange gurgling engine noise from above before the P-51 Mustang, dubbed The Galloping Ghost, pitched violently upward, twirled and took an immediate nosedive into the crowd.

The plane, flown by a 74-year-old veteran racer and Hollywood stunt pilot, disintegrated in a ball of dust, debris and bodies as screams of “Oh my God!” spread through the crowd.

The death toll rose to nine Saturday as investigators determined that several onlookers were killed on impact as the plane appeared to lose a piece of its tail before slamming like a missile into the crowded tarmac.

The crash killed the pilot, Jimmy Leeward, and eight spectators. So far, two have been identified. Michael Wogan, 22, of Scottsdale, Ariz., had muscular dystrophy and was in a wheelchair the VIP section when the plane crashed, the family said Saturday. The Washoe County, Nev., medical examiner identified the other victim as Greg Morcom of Washington state, a first-time spectator at the show, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Officials said 69 people were treated at hospitals, including 36 who have been released and 31 who remain there. Nine were in critical condition late Saturday.

Doctors who treated the injured said it was among the most severe situations they had ever seen because of the large number of people, including at least two children younger than 18 who are not among those in critical condition.

“I’ve seen more patients, but never this many patients with this number of severe injuries,” added Dr. Michael Morkin, chief of Renown’s emergency department, who trained at Cook County General Hospital In Chicago.

“It was traumatic,” he said.

Injuries included major head wounds, facial trauma and limb injuries, including amputations, said Dr. Myron Gomes, chief trauma surgeon at Renown Regional Medical Center.

National Transportation Safety Board officials were on the scene Saturday to determine what caused Leeward to lose control of the plane, and they were looking at amateur video clips that appeared to show a small piece of the aircraft falling to the ground before the crash. Witnesses who looked at photos of the part said it appeared to be an “elevator trim tab,” which helps pilots keep control of the aircraft.

Death Toll Stands at 9 in Reno Air Show Crash

AP

Reno police also provided a GPS mapping system to help investigators recreate the crash scene.

“Pictures and video appear to show a piece of the plane was coming off,” NTSB spokesman Mark Rosekind said at a news conference. “A component has been recovered. We have not identified the component or if it even came from the airplane … We are going to focus on that.”

Investigators said they also recovered part of the tail section, where the tab is located.

Despite the large number of dead and injured, witnesses and people familiar with the race say the toll could have been much worse had the plane gone down in the larger crowd area of the stands. The plane crashed in a section of box seats that was located in front of the grandstand area where most people sat.

“This one could have been much worse if the plane had hit a few rows higher up,” said Don Berliner, president of the Society of Air Racing Historians and a former Reno Air Races official. “We could be talking hundreds of deaths.”

Some credit the pilot with preventing the crash from being far more deadly by avoiding the grandstand section with a last-minute climb, although it’s impossible at this point to know his thinking as he was confronted with the disaster and had just seconds to respond.

One of the things investigators said they’ll be looking at is the health of Leeward, the 74-year-old pilot, who friends say was in excellent health.

Witnesses described a horrible scene after the plane struck the crowd and sent up a brown cloud of dust billowing in the wind. When it cleared moments later, motionless bodies lay strewn across the ground, some clumped together, while others stumbled around bloodied and shocked.

“I saw the spinner, the wings, the canopy just coming right at us. It hit directly in front of us, probably 50 to 75 feet,” said Ryan Harris, of Round Mountain, Nev. “The next thing I saw was a wall of debris going up in the air. That’s what I got splashed with. In the wall of debris I noticed there were pieces of flesh.”

Ambulances rushed to the scene, and officials said fans did an amazing job in tending to the injured. Just that morning, the 25 emergency workers at the air show had done a drill for such a large-scale emergency like this.

“We run through what we do in the event of an incident,” said Ken Romero, director of the Regional Emergency Medical Service Authority. “We walked through how to respond, where the multi-casualty incident bus is and what is on the bus (by way of equipment), how to set up the treatment zones and how to triage.”

The crash marked the first time spectators had been killed since the races began 47 years ago in Reno. Twenty pilots including Leeward have died in that time, race officials said.

It is the only air race of its kind in the United States. Planes at the yearly event fly wingtip-to-wingtip as low as 50 feet off the ground at speeds sometimes surpassing 500 mph. Pilots follow an oval path around pylons, with distances and speeds depending on the class of aircraft.

The disaster prompted renewed calls for race organizers to consider ending the event because of the dangers. Officials said they would look at everything as they work to understand what happened.

Another crash, on Saturday, came at an airshow in Martinsburg, W. Va., when post-World War II plane, a T-28, crashed and burst into flames. The pilot was killed.

In Reno, the Mustang that disintegrated into the crowd had minor crashes almost exactly 40 years ago after its engine failed. According to two websites that track P-51s that are still flying, it made a belly landing away from the Reno airport. The NTSB report on the Sept. 18, 1970, incident says the engine failed during an air race and it crash landed short of the runway.

P-51 historian Dick Phillips of Burnsville, Minn., said Saturday the plane had had several new engines since then as well as a new canopy and other modifications.

Leeward, the owner of the Leeward Air Ranch Racing Team, was a well-known racing pilot. His website says he has flown more than 120 races and served as a stunt pilot for numerous movies, including “Amelia” and “The Tuskegee Airmen.”

In an interview with the Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner last year, he described how he has flown 250 types of planes and has a particular fondness for the P-51, which came into WWII relatively late and was used as a long-range bomber escort over Europe. Among the famous pilots of the hot new fighter was double ace Chuck Yeager.

The National Championship Air Races draw thousands of people to Reno every September to watch various military and civilian planes race. Local schools often hold field trips there, and a local sports book took wagers on the outcomes.

The FAA and air race organizers spend months preparing for air races as they develop a plan involving pilot qualification, training and testing along with a layout for the course. The FAA inspects pilots’ practice runs and briefs pilots on the route maneuvers and emergency procedures.

John Townes, a Reno pilot, said the plane didn’t sound right moments before the crash.

“It wasn’t quite vertical. It was at a very slight angle and because of that I think it probably saved a lot of people,” he said. “Normally when you see an air crash, you see recognizable wreckage. There was nothing, just little bits of metal.”

Comments (64)

  • Parnell3rd
    Posted on September 19, 2011 at 12:56am

    Terrible accident, my prayers got to the survivors and family members.
    When will the liberals demand a ban on airplanes?

    Report Post » Parnell3rd  
  • M 4 Colt
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 8:32pm

    I hope that some of the same people from the blaze who commented on the crash of flight 93 a few weeks back have read this, about the fact that after the crash of this airplane there was nothing left of the plane, no identifiable parts left after the crash. Many said that flight 93 never crashed in that field because there were no wings or other parts left after the crash well here you get an up close look at whats left after an airplane hits the ground at 400 MPH, little to nothing is left other then the engine block, just like what i said about flight 93 they found the engines, landing gear and the black boxes and little else other then a smoking black hole in the ground.

    Report Post »  
  • GTH
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 7:57pm

    He either had a heart attack or committed suicide.

    Report Post »  
    • TheDebtWeAllPay
      Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:21pm

      @GTH Yeah your right there is no way the plane could have malfuctioned IDIOT think before you speak that is someones family memeber

      Report Post » TheDebtWeAllPay  
  • Godrulz
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 5:51pm

    If you’re afraid to take a few chances to have a bit of fun, you don’t climb into a 3800hp beer can and go 500 mph, 50 ft off the ground in proximity to others doing the same crazy thing.
    You also don‘t vote for the left because it’ll be illegal which won‘t matter because you won’t even be able to afford food.

    Report Post » Godrulz  
    • mrsmileyface
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 6:03pm

      Hey thanks for putting a politcal spin on a tragic situation, you’re mother must be proud.

      Report Post » mrsmileyface  
    • Halloween
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 8:53pm

      GODRULZ—>> You’re right! Nobody made these people go to the race. Freedom comes with a price and I am willing to pay it as these pilots and fans. If you are willing to give up some liberties for safeties sake, you deserve neither.

      Report Post » Halloween  
  • TexasBlaze
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 2:57pm

    The last issue of Sport Aviation magazine, published by the Experimental Aircraft Assn (EAA) had a very in-depth article on Galloping Ghost and Leeward. Someone earlier mentioned seeing smoke coming from the airplane while it was flying… the vapor coming from the plane during the race is due to the boil-off cooling system used in the modified engine/coolant system. The radiator and airscoop was removed from the belly of the P51 and replaced by an internal cooling system which was immersed in a glycol/alcohol “bath” and the boil-off extracts the heat. It’s a short-duration availability, evaporating about 150 gallons of fluid for the roughly 150 gallons of fuel burned during a race. It’s not for cross country flying, obviously, only for the short-duration of a race. The possibility of a trim tab loss actually could be catastrophic at the speeds these racers fly. The loss of just a few ounces of mass from a control surface could result in an imbalance and almost instantaneous flutter (dynamic structural flexing, almost like the flutter of stiff flag) of that control surface, thus breaking internal parts/connections within the continuity of the control runs. Let’s not make this tragic event more than it was. Jimmy was a consumate gent, and a real pro. Let’s all allow him, and his family, to have some peace now, folks.

    Report Post »  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 3:03pm

      Agreed. Good analysis.

      Thank you.

      Report Post »  
    • IntransigentMind
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 3:41pm

      Here’s a thought as people suggest banning air racing/airshows:
      http://markamerica.com/2011/09/18/the-reno-disaster/

      Report Post »  
    • friscokid
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 6:14pm

      I concur Texasblaze. Additionally, the abrupt pitch up with excessive g loading that occured may have well caused Jimmy to pass out. It took approx. 4 seconds for the plane to pitch up and return back to earth. Plus, Jimmy can’t be see in the cockpit in one photo. Very tragic event with no one really to blame. I would expect the g load was in excess of 9 g’s.

      Report Post »  
  • Cate
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 2:28pm

    Pay attention. The latest threat from Al Quada, Hamas or whoever our enemy is was about using small planes as missiles. Was this sabotage? Terrorism? Surely air shows are a good place for masses of people to gather as targets of destruction. Obviously the pilots were victims and not suicide bombers; yet whether it’s the World Towers, Israel buses or whatever, the focus is usually on killing innocent people.

    Report Post » Cate  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 2:45pm

      @Cate
      Don’t think so. If you’ve ever been to an air show, especially where the P-51′s are located, you can’t get close enough to even touch one. And if you do, there are the plane’s owner(s) standing right there.
      Now, if you really want a scare…. right after 9/11 a guy came into my work to check the fire extinguisher. He was of middle-east decent. He left with it and brought it back in about 30 minutes. I asked my co-workers if they noticed anything strange about what had just happened. Nope… not a thing. I suggested that what if he was a terrorist. Imagine 1000′s of terrorist going into the fire extinguisher business and filling them with anthrax? Everyone got real quiet and stared at the fire extinguisher. No one asked for any ID. He just walked in, took the fire extinguisher, brought it back and left. Didn’t even charge any money. Everyone just thought it was part of a Fire Marshall program.
      Now that’s scarey!

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 2:58pm

      @ Monk

      That is scary.

      When I was in helicopter flight training one of the students (who happened to be big on the daily KOS), made a comment along the lines of “how much damage do you think a helicopter could do to a building if it was deliberately flown into it”. He was immediately washed out of the program. He was Caucasian and slightly different (if you know what I mean). I had dinner with the guy on an invite after a ground school session and he went on and on about how 9/11 was an inside job.

      I was like, “drugs are bad, mmm kay”. LOL

      Report Post »  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 3:00pm

      Here’s what I mean.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCDnR6Px-co&feature=related

      Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 3:11pm

      @TSUNAMI-22
      Laughing my you know what off!

      Report Post » The-Monk  
  • CitizenVetUSA
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 2:01pm

    I found this discussion of aviation experts regarding this left trim tab falling off. Something yet to be identified causing degradation that leads to this catastrophic failed yet needs to be determined. Go to link: http://www.aviationlawmonitor.com/2011/09/articles/accident-investigation-1/reno-p51-mustang-lost-elevator-trim-tab/

    One comment says this trim tab is only for pilot control adjustment and not the cause of crash, but upon separation, launched the aircraft upward into a hard 10g maneuver and may have caused blackout of pilot (head of pilot not visible in cockpit).

    Report Post » CitizenVetUSA  
  • searock
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 1:28pm

    … these were good aircraft; however, the age of them should dictate that they be grounded … it has to do with the age of the aluminum used in the airframe … FAA should have already realized this … it’s like the MMS and the Deep Water Horizon and the concerns of Haliburton cementing the well walls and not being listened to …

    … same thing happened with a C130 being used to drop fire retardant a few years back … the wings ripped off … too many hours on the airframe … too much wieght … to much G force … all of this is already know and recorded in “tables” …

    Report Post »  
  • Bill Rowland
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 12:58pm

    Bomustgo – last time I checked a 51 had a Packard (Allison) V12.

    This is a tragic accident that has nothing to do with the age of the pilot. It could not have been forseen or planned for. Pray for the survivors.

    Report Post »  
    • Viet Vet
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 1:26pm

      I think it had a Packard-Merlin engine.

      Report Post »  
    • BOMUSTGO
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 3:52pm

      An inline liquid cooled engine.12 cylinders.

      Report Post » BOMUSTGO  
    • BOMUSTGO
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 4:06pm

      In aviation, an inline engine means any reciprocating engine with banks rather than rows of cylinders, including straight engines, flat engines, V engines and H engines,but excluding radial engines and rotary engines.

      Report Post » BOMUSTGO  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 12:51pm

    For all those poser 9/11 truthers visiting The Blaze.

    Take a close look at the picture of the impact. This is what a plane doing 400 MPH looks like after impact with the ground. Nothing but very small pieces. Now imagine a jumbo jet doing 500 or 600 MPH hitting a granite building like the Pentagon. You wonder why there was no big pieces left? Take a long hard look at that picture and the pictures and footage of the aftermath. Then go Google what a P-51 engine looks like and note how big it is. It’s almost solid steel compared to a jumbo jet engine. If it didn’t survive the impact neither would a jumbo jet going faster and hitting something harder.

    Report Post » The-Monk  
    • flasho
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 12:59pm

      Very true, point well made. Peace be with all the families affected by this accident.

      Report Post » flasho  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 1:58pm

      @ The Monk

      Correct.

      The funny thing is that I just got done explaining this to someone and used the exact examples you did because of the common experience we all had with Sept. 11th.

      F = M x A

      Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 2:19pm

      @TSUNAMI-22
      Yep; Force equals Mass times Acceleration. You can’t defy proven physics!

      Report Post » The-Monk  
  • fande3rls
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 11:27am

    The loss of life is sadding , the loss of an Iconic aircraft is Also sadding. I love old war birds , and flying ,yes he was 70 + years old , but passed his physical , the aircraft had a part failure ,no one could have overcome.

    Report Post » fande3rls  
  • SteveSD
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 11:13am

    Let’s all get a bit of perspective:

    http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08-15/us/california.racing.deaths_1_crash-race-spectators?_s=PM:US

    Air racing is an extreme sport. People that go to these events know the risks. It‘s actually amazing that it wasn’t a lot worse, and we can credit some really excellent, selfless airmanship as the reason. Planes are machines. Machines sometimes fail. Thank God this wasn’t a lot worse than it was.

    Report Post »  
  • ginger100
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 11:04am

    What does his age have to do with it? You ever watch Jackass the Movie?

    Report Post » ginger100  
  • MachIV
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 10:52am

    No such thing as a “guard rail” at this spectator event.

    Report Post »  
  • REVerse
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 10:51am

    Man, that golf cart was just a few yards from the impact. Talk about a near miss!

    Report Post » REVerse  
  • meeester
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 10:45am

    Fortunately it was against the law to have a plane fire that day. Too bad they didn’t think to:
    OUTLAW PLANES!
    OUTLAW MOVING OLD PEOPLE!
    OUTLAW PLANE CRASHING!
    OUTLAW NOT OUTLAWING EVERYTHING!
    The spectators chose to sit under a bunch of high speed, moving, objects. Bummer that; but hardly the pilot’s singular fault

    Report Post »  
  • brbrem
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 10:15am

    One question that I have not seen answered yet. Why no fire???

    Report Post »  
    • SteveSD
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 10:37am

      I’ve been thinking about that. If you look at the videos, you will see, as the P51 turns downward from it’s apex, a cloud of vapor or smoke trailing the plane. I believe the pilot knew he was going to auger in, and dumped his fuel just before he hit the ground. It probably saved hundreds of lives.

      Report Post »  
    • rrguy49
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 11:11am

      Aircraft in races carry minimal fuel. Extra fuel is extra weight, for one thing, and that extra weight is disadvantageous in a race. The safety factor involved in no more fuel than necessary is recognized for just this sort of situation. Because there was no more fuel than necessary, there was no fire. Had there been more fuel present, an inferno would likely have resulted, with a far higher death and severe injury toll. We’ll never know if the pilot had enough time to even think about dumping fuel in the midst of his efforts to regain control, but if he did, that makes him an even bigger hero.

      Report Post »  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 2:12pm

      @ brbrem

      One question that I have not seen answered yet. Why no fire???
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      Great question. All I can say is that may have been pure luck that there was no ignition source within the fuel dispersement cloud. everything else was present – atomized fuel and air.

      Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 2:27pm

      @TSUNAMI-22
      I was also wondering about that. Only thing I can think of is that when I go to watch the P-51‘s fly I’ve noticed that they usually put one 5 gallon can of fuel in to keep the plane light. Just enough to perform their flight. If this P-51 had a very small fuel tank and it was almost empty the only fire would be the fumes igniting. If you watch the video clip of the impact you’ll notice the massive amount of air flow from the accident. Maybe enough to “blow out” a small fume fire? What do you think?

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 3:27pm

      @TSUNAMI-22
      Here in Florida I go to see Crazy Horse fly at the Fun n Sun. He flies around for a very short time doing acrobatics and lands. I then see his crewman put 5 gallons of something in from a red container. Later, he goes up again for another short flight and lands again. That’s where I got the 5 gallons from. When he does the longer flights it’s on his first run usually. Several years ago Sun n Fun had the first “unoffical” showing of the F-22 Raptor. Crazy Horse tried to lose the F-22 in the clouds and out-turn him. The F-22 was the victor. I was filming it and my P-51 friend, standing next to me, said, “Well, they finally made a plane that can out-turn my P-51. Thought you might enjoy that.

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 5:59pm

      @ Monk

      That Raptor better damn well out turn the P-51 !!!!

      The P-51 and her Merlin engine creates bigger goosebumps, however….at least for me.

      Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 7:36pm

      @TSUNAMI-22
      Me too. I’ll never forget the first day I saw one. It took off and I thought it was “just another” war bird. My P-51D friend was there and we lost site of the P-51D (Crazy Horse). My friend told me to look at something else in the distance. After a few minutes he said, “Turn around”. When I did, I saw that P-51D coming straight for me at about 50 feet up and about 200 yards out. I froze and the hair stood up on the back of my neck. I didn’t hear a thing. It was silent. My friend leaned over and whispered into my ear, “You’re dead”, then it passed right over my head and the sound of that P-51D has never left me. Goosebumps… oh, yeah! Every time I see and/or hear one now.

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • chalkdust
      Posted on September 19, 2011 at 12:22am

      I had the same question. A survivor said that many got drenched with aviation fuel including himself. I have no explanation considering there was enough fuel to make an explosion. The race had just started so he had a full fuel load. Two things come to mind: the tarmac was concrete and the angle plus velocity that he hit was just right to disintegrate the entire plane dispersing the fuel with the concrete and aluminum. Remember not a lot of steel in these birds. Or, maybe it was Gods hand at work. An explosion certainly would have hurt more people. We could choose to see that it was a miracle an explosion didn’t occur or dismiss it as “luck”. I choose to see the miracle.

      Report Post » chalkdust  
  • Metalist
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 10:13am

    I don‘t think a person’s age or ability has anything to do with their ability to deal with structural failure. It was simply an accident.

    Report Post » Metalist  
  • swampbuck
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 9:48am

    I also don’t remember seeing this many air show crashes in one year ever..

    Report Post » swampbuck  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 1:30pm

      There are a lot of things we see now in this techno driven World that we never got to see in the past. With all the cell phones able to take pictures and movies and the Internet and cable TV; we can now see things minutes after they happen. No need to take in the 35mm film and get it developed. By that time most people would lose interest and it never made the news. I don’t know if there are more accidents now. I do know that with today’s technology we can see a school yard fight minutes after it happened that would never make the news of past years.

      Report Post » The-Monk  
  • swampbuck
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 9:47am

    just another reason I don’t go to air shows or any other large gatherings of people..

    Report Post » swampbuck  
  • Mrtoohappy
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 9:44am

    Thank God for no fire. i can say God right?

    Report Post »  
    • YellowFin
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 12:08pm

      Yes you can say God – and you can even spell it G O D.
      Thanks.

      Report Post » YellowFin  
  • KeithOlberdink
    Posted on September 18, 2011 at 9:28am

    74 years old? The only thing he should have been piloting is one of those motorized shopping carts at walmart. I mean wtf???

    Report Post » KeithOlberdink  
    • BOMUSTGO
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 9:48am

      He was certified to fly by the authorities.They are very strict about this at RENO. Notice that the tail wheel is not retracted and is hanging out. Could be a hydraulic problem? The old P-40′s had a problem with their tail wheels not retracting.This highly modified P-51 did not have a radiator to reduce drag. It used a water/metanol heat exchanger to keep the inline engine cool. It was good for about an hours worh of flying time.It was not his age that caused the accident.

      Report Post » BOMUSTGO  
    • randy
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 9:48am

      I have to agree with you.
      Nine People dead, many more injured and maybe close to dying because grandpa
      put his need for a thrill before peoples safety.

      People calling him a hero?

      A hero does not put that many people in jeopardy for his thrill of flying.
      When was the last time you say a 74 year old running the Indy 500

      Report Post » randy  
    • Mrtoohappy
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 10:52am

      Part of the tail Elevator might of come off. That would make it hard to put up.

      Report Post »  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 12:05pm

      @ Randy

      A hero does not put that many people in jeopardy for his thrill of flying.
      When was the last time you say a 74 year old running the Indy 500
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      I don‘t remember Jim Leeward twisting anybody’s arm to attend this event.

      You along with many, many others with no clue of what aviation entails have continually embarrassed themselves with their comments on all of these air race disaster threads. Does anyone realize that?

      I haven‘t read anything yet that has delineated what took place with the aircraft’s aerodynamic flight regime and position on the course. Here’s a clue, that particular Mustang had the shortest wing-span of any clipped-wing unlimited race plane. When you clip the tips inboard you clip away the washout in the airfoil. Washout keeps the wingtips from stalling because it induces aerodynamic stability. An airfoil can be stalled at any airspeed. The cost of this stability comes in the form of drag – which is one of the reasons why they clip their wings in the first place. In aviation there are always trade-offs. The danger happens if angle of attack on those tips is exceeded and causes a tip-stall and the wing in that area stops flying. You can see evidence of this taking place during the pull-up phase and the roll to the right.

      I believe this will be listed as a factor in the NTSB report as it’s gathered from all eyewitness accounts.

      All we can do is pray for the families involved.

      We need to quit shooti

      Report Post »  
    • Czar Casm
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 12:23pm

      Keith, Randy…When you guys turn 70 or 74 let us know so we can come over and put ristrictions on you.

      Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 1:14pm

      @TSUNAMI-22
      Having read “Stick and Rudder” many times I understand exactly what you are saying. I also had, as my best friend for 14 years, a P-51 fighter pilot from the Korean War. He explained to me how the aerodynamics of aircraft works and answered all the questions I had from reading “Stick and Rudder”.
      Most people, including a lot of pilots, know very little about flying. The plane takes off, flies straight and level, maybe a few slow turns and then lands. When I ask a pilot, “how do you make a plane go up”? and they reply, “Pull back on the stick” I know better than to fly with that person. Your points are well taken by some of us who visit The Blaze.

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 1:52pm

      The-Monk

      @TSUNAMI-22

      Your points are well taken by some of us who visit The Blaze.
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      I appreciate, and thank you for your take on my comments.

      I just can stand seeing some of the “shoot from the hip” comments made regarding this event. I sickens me to the point where I’m compelled to retort, and then afterwards I kick myself for allowing myself to get sucked in. As an aviation instructor myself, I have this inner compulsion to try to shed some knowledge upon people that may not have any understanding of what they are talking about, but these same people can influence others that may be in a position to do further damage down the road.

      The NTSB will examine all the FACTS and derive the conclusion as to what has happened. I’m just worried about what the FAA will do as a result of that information.

      The biggest tragedy, in my opinion, would be for the FAA to prohibit this type of an event because misperceived public perception dictates it.

      Report Post »  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 2:05pm

      @ Mrtoohappy

      Part of the tail Elevator might of come off. That would make it hard to put up.
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      Not necessarily true. A malfunctioning elevator trim-tab may have led to the excessive vertical pitch-up that was witnessed. There’s an article floating around the net related to a similar event that involved an unlimited racer called “VooDoo”. If I find it, I’ll post it.

      Report Post »  
    • randy
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 2:57pm

      I’ve been flying since I was 17 …… 37 years now.
      And when I turn 60, if I’m not already dead, I will stop.

      Report Post » randy  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 3:12pm

      @ randy

      I’ve been flying since I was 17 …… 37 years now.
      And when I turn 60, if I’m not already dead, I will stop.
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      And that’s a subjective choice based on your personal preference and personal responsibility. I applaud that. More power to you.

      It’s the people who think that everyone should have that same choice imposed on everyone else that I have an issue with.

      Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 3:33pm

      @TSUNAMI-22
      I appreciate, and thank you for your take on my comments.

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      Keep up the good fight!

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • AviatorV1
      Posted on September 18, 2011 at 11:51pm

      KO, My 73 year old Father-in-Law can still pull an engine out of his car, replace the tranny, and work my 50yr old rear into the ground. I can only imagine as a student pilot how many hours and years of experience this man had in the air. These folks flying at Reno are the best of the best. Please post your apology and have some respect for your elders.

      Report Post » AviatorV1  

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