Reno Air Race Crash

OMG.



Jedi

 

Trim tab missing on the left. Caused uncommanded rapid pitch up, pilot grayed-out/blacked-out, then uncommanded roll, and impact.

Trim tab prolly came off just prior to the pitch up moment. Similar to an event in 98 with another P-51 that lost a trim tab and went into an abrupt pitch up moment. That guy greyed out and he didn't roll.

Look at the cockput too. The pilot is hunched over, not head up where he should be.
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I worked on a game based on the Reno Air Races. I am very curious to know the outcome of the investigation. Being there and watching them round the pylons is such an intense feeling that you can't imagine how they do it at all and you get the gravity of the situation should something like this happen. The fact the youngest of them is 55 years old, you wonder how any of this is possible.
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This video came back up

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e60_W4tuTNI[/ame]

 

Thats the end of that show, just too many accidents.

 

It's too early to speculate but Le Mans had a horrific crash and it went on. Yes, it was a different era but it is possible if they make adjustments to safety and can get insurance or legal clearance.

But, I hate to talk about this when so many are still suffering tonight. It's a discussion for another day.

 

I think you have it right.

 

What a tragedy,Very sad for all involved. News channel I was listening to said he called in a may-day.?

 

Excuse my ignorance but does a pilot not wear a 4 point belt system or something to keep him securely seated in place.?

 

wow thats crazy...I was just thinking from the pic you posted you would see some part of the pilot....Very sad

 

This is a tough year for Reno, first the ihop shooting, now this. Horribly tragic.

 

+2. Unrecoverable.

In the 1998 accident, was the trim tab actually detached from the plane or did the trim mechanism fail?

 

Thoughts and prayers to all. Very sad day.

 

Here is an update and up close view of the impact. How very, very sad and deadly.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-reno-air-show-crash-20110917,0,1484326.story

If a part flys off a plane, I suppose that could mean there is a maintenance issue? I had a friend killed in a drag boat race once when the throttle stuck wide open while he did a run up toward the holding line. The mechanics, who were also friends of mine just had all this apart. He went under the rope and up into the trees at about 160mph. Nothing left. A friend just had her annual, and the mechanic put her seat belts in backwards. We noted this on the run up for the flight out. He corrected this, but then last week the safety belt that keeps the seat from sliding back in the rail just detached from the carpet as it was not even screwed in securely (remember the law suite that resulted from the sliding seat?) If the trim tab flew off and caused this I guess there will be a lot of second guessing and guilt. Sad indeed.

 

The 1998 incident happened on "Voodoo" being piloted by Bob Hannah multtime motocross and supercross champion.

http://www.warbirdaeropress.com/articles/voodoo99.htm

 

I agree but for 2 / 3 add'l reasons...

The prop has no blur... and no exhaust smoke.

Also near perfect profile. What are the odds??? I think it's a photoshop from a ground level photo.

 

I've seen another picture this morning that clearly shows the trim tab coming loose and dangling from the tail. This has to be a major factor. Whether the pilot blanked out from the g forces or not is really a moot issue. The plane was clearly having mechanical problems.
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at 400mph, smoke is unlikely to be very visible, and a high shutter speed freezes the prop. a long lense and a cheapo sensor will cause detail to turn in to a "watercolor" as opposed to a sharp photo. Not arguing it is real, but that it is plausable.


I got bored and dug up the Tsunami NTSB crash reports. link

 

In docs post, the photo has smoke and prob blur... and again... the perfect profile...

I'd also be curious if the graphics match those on the plane in Reno. Anyone have a known reno 2011 ramp photo to compare?

 

Thats got to be it.
I mentioned in Silver that I helped install a tab on "Precious Metal" and while not being an expert was told by those that were that the tabs are hyper critical.
If not ballanced perfectly, weight wise and/or aerodynamically, they can tear themselves apart.
Flying without the tab is next to impossible.

 

The photos are from a AP photo-journalist. I have to presume that they are pro grade photos from a serious camera. I"m not a photo expert, but with the right equipment, stopping the prop and this type of detail are certainly possible.

The trim tab coming off would wreak havoc at the speed he was traveling. Trim plays a critical role at all speeds but the faster the more critical as with many things on aircraft. Losing it at speed, in a high G configuration is going to be really, really bad mojo.

I still think after it left the plane, he went hard pitch up, then G-LOC then uncommanded roll and impact. Just no way Jimmy would let his plane get anywhere near spectators if he was still awake. No way - he'd been doing this far too long for that kind of mistake.

 

The "going in" profile pic is also AP?

Does the AP have a policy of not "cleaning up" photos?

Just curious,... did the same journalist take both? The second photo is obviously sharper...

 

Can we stop with the conspiracy theories just once?