Bad crash at the Reno Air Races. I'd post a link but it's full of the prohibited "s" word (understandably). You can Google it though.

From the video, the P-51 looks like it was going straight down when it hit the grandstands. Unless he lost a wing, it almost had to be a high speed stall followed by a departure. Nothing else will produce that kind of a trajectory.

- Jack

 

There are plenty of things that would produce a "trajectory" like that... up to and including an incapacitated pilot. Loss of trim, broken control surfaces and mechanisms... He looped in, inverted. It appears he was in the middle of a 4 point roll. The aircraft was totally demolished. God bless all that were injured and rest in peace all that were killed, including Jimmy Leeward, the pilot of the Galloping Ghost. Jimmy was 74. This was a terrible accident.

Jimmy's FB https://www.facebook.com/JimmyLeeward?sk=wall

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0...1_lnk1%7C96359

This is the Huffington Post article, I think it will be OK, if not Jack feel free to remove it.

What a tragety, I have a friend in Auburn that likes to go there.....I hope he didn't this time.

Prayers for the injured.
Jim

 

What a tragedy Thoughts and prayers to all the injured and families of the ones that got killed in the accident.

It seems like there have been a few Air Show incidents this year.

 

I just watched the video from the TV crew that was recording this race. It's available on the net but unless you like gore, you really don't need to see it. The thing that I couldn't get over is how many were injured and only ONE EMT team. I understand these kind if things don't happen everyday but it appeared that nobody had a clue how to stop the bleeding on a missing leg or arm. Folks just wondering around like cattle for a few minutes and then it kinda set in. They're now saying 30 with major injuries, and 30 with intermediate injuries with 3 dead. While I've never been associated with airplane racing, it would seem more likely that the safest place to be is the infield where the planes are not coming at the crowd. Am I missing something there?

 

A good friend of mine was about 200 yards from where it hit. He and everyone he was with are safe. Another friend of mine knows the pilot. He was said to be a really nice person.

 

Guessing - Trim tab broke at 450mph. Pilot cannot control pitch, planes goes into extremely high G maneuver. Excessive g forces cause the tail gear to deploy, the engine to malfunction, incapacitates and/or kills the pilot who is not even visible in the picture, probably crumpled in the seat, and structurally damages the plane.

 

What a terrible accident, my thought and prayers got out to all involved

 

That would be my guess also. Without a g-suit there's no way he was able to control it after that. If he wasn't completely unconscious when he hit the ground, he would've been very close.

Praying for his family and the family of all those involved.

 

I agree. Even though he was supposedly in good physical condition, there is no way a 70 year old body can take that kind of G force. Like TL said, at least in one very good picture there was no sign of him in the c#*kpit window. I have my very serious doubts he was conscious to feel anything.

 

New info today -

1. Yes, the trim tab was missing in a pic just before the crash.

2. In the same pic, the c0ckpit appeared to be empty - how does this happen when the pilot is strapped in with a 5 point? Speculation is the seat mount broke and tipped backwards, pilot no longer able to hold the stick and operate the rudder.

 

I've seen that plane at Sun N Fun. The seat is pretty far recessed into the fuselage and while you can still see him while sitting normal, a slight slump will "swallow" your head.