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Plane crashes into stands at Reno Air Race

Just wanted to jump in here and mention that while his age was reported as being 80, he was actually 74. I saw a shot of him taken last year and the guy looked like he was in his fifties. Needless to say, just as with fighter pilots, most of these guys have to maintain a certain level of physical fitness just to endure the G-forces they experience during the race. . . these guys aren't couch potatoes. I doubt age will be as much a concern as some expressed. He was a professional, well versed in the P-51 and the rigors of Air Racing and while it may take months before anything is announced officially I think mechanical failure might enter into it.

One thing I remember from working on the Cavenaugh P-51. . .the rudder (cloth covered) has a ballast attached to eliminate flutter, if that separates it could cause something similar to what he experienced. . . .just a thought.
 
I have no intent of raising speculation, but I noticed in two of the shots that you cannot see Jimmy's head through the canopy. I have pretty much no knowledge of Unlimited Racers so I have no idea if that is normal or not?

John, you have any insight on that?

And also, the one AP photo around shows the trim tab on the elevator gone.... Obviously that would cause a problem, but would it be enough to create that signficat of a problem? Maybe at that high of speed..... I just don't know. And the tail wheel was down.... Right there along with the trim tab missing should show you something was going wrong....
 
Bomber_12th said:
Unfortunately there is not much knowledge about Jimmy Leeward here, by the comments posted. If you were to have known him, his age was only a number - if he wasn't more than fit to fly the aircraft, just as anyone else could, he would not have been, both under his own decision, and the decisions of the many that very strictly govern the races, and those who participate within them. Though obviously the media is going to latch onto that in a heart-beat, because without any confirmed answers, they can start implying their own.

All reports that I have heard, and could be understood by any person of true aviation knowledge, from those that saw the aircraft in its last minutes, point directly to mechanical failure, of some sort.

In anycase, this, as Witt has mentioned, is by far the biggest punch in the gut, after already having gone through one of the worst airshow/flying seasons in memory. As one person put it on one of the warbird forums, it will be a miracle if the Reno air races are ever held again - and at a time like this, I can't say that would be a bad thing, in my own personal opinion, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the people involved.

My thoughts and feelings go out to so many.
Click to expand...
Yup, all our resident experts will be chiming in "Too old?" when they know very little about this pilot.
 
Wittpilot said:
I have no intent of raising speculation, but I noticed in two of the shots that you cannot see Jimmy's head through the canopy. I have pretty much no knowledge of Unlimited Racers so I have no idea if that is normal or not?

John, you have any insight on that?

And also, the one AP photo around shows the trim tab on the elevator gone.... Obviously that would cause a problem, but would it be enough to create that signficat of a problem? Maybe at that high of speed..... I just don't know. And the tail wheel was down.... Right there along with the trim tab missing should show you something was going wrong....
Click to expand...
I noticed that too. A couple of pictures were shown on the A2A forum from just moments before the crash. One shows the elevator tab missing and the tail wheel retracted. The pilot is near invisible in both shots.
 
CodyValkyrie said:
I noticed that too. A couple of pictures were shown on the A2A forum from just moments before the crash. One shows the elevator tab missing and the tail wheel retracted. The pilot is near invisible in both shots.
Click to expand...
IIRC this same thing happind before, and the pilot [Hanna was his name?] was bent over in the cockpit with all the G force, but was able to reach the throttle and pull it back.
 
I know it is no time to speculate on this, but it all sounds and looks to similar to this incident (edit: same as Oakfloor has mentioned in the last post). Please read the entire page until you find the information pertaining to what I'm talking about:

http://www.warbird.com/voodoo.html

Now when you look at the photos posted to Yahoo news, you will notice that the port elevator trimtab is departed. Also in these photos, as has been mentioned, the pilot looks to be slumped over, into the cockpit. This may very well have been a result of the same extreme G-level experienced in the case of Voodoo, when its port trimtab departed, as discussed in the link, which resulted in Bob Hannah passing out, but recovering later on. What spectators have continued to mention, is how the aircraft pitched up and climbed until it couldn't maintain airspeed anymore, and basically stalled out of control. In the case of Voodoo, the plane also climbed instantly, after the trimtab departed. Unfortunately the outcomes of both incidents are very, very different.

Again, this is just utter speculation at the moment, on my part, fair to be removed by any mods that don't see this fit for the site, or are asked to have it removed by any members or guests.
 
Very interesting John... Sounds just like how people described the event today... A sudden pitch up... 10 g's +, I suppose that could force the tail wheel out... So now I wonder if he was conscious at the end...... We'll never know....

Blue Skies & Tailwinds....
 
Wittpilot said:
Very interesting John... Sounds just like how people described the event today... A sudden pitch up... 10 g's +, I suppose that could force the tail wheel out... So now I wonder if he was conscious at the end...... We'll never know....

Blue Skies & Tailwinds....
Click to expand...

I read a report on one of the news services that the pilot radioed a "Mayday" and "pulled out of the race" just prior to
the crash.

Paul
 
I'll hold off on my speculation tell the HD video but by the time it come out the FAA will know went wrong.

I'm sure the pilot did every thing he to make sure he didn't hit people.

EDIT: From Yahoo!

"A P-51 Mustang airplane is shown upside down right before crashing at the Reno Air show on Friday, Sept. 16, 2011 in Reno Nevada. The plane plunged into the stands at the event in what an official described as a "mass casualty situation." (AP Photo/Grass Valley Union, Tim O'Brien) MANDATORY CREDIT"


5e7548b1ec89fb14f80e6a70670062b6.jpg
 
Oh Sh!t.....just came home after my brother called to tell me the news. Deepest condolences t those who were invoved. Just tragic....news is covered in P-51s..... I see this as a severe blow to the event and the planes.
 
Of course Jimmy was flying Galloping Ghost at Reno, for which he has been better known for over the last two years, but for 4-decades prior, you could see him at air shows throughout the U.S., and at Reno, in his beloved P-51D "Cloud Dancer", which he sold to Phil Petrick early last year, and this is how I'll always remember him:

(Photo copyright MustangsMustangs.net)
44-84615_04622_cf1.jpg
 
Wittpilot said:
I have no intent of raising speculation, but I noticed in two of the shots that you cannot see Jimmy's head through the canopy. I have pretty much no knowledge of Unlimited Racers so I have no idea if that is normal or not?

John, you have any insight on that?

And also, the one AP photo around shows the trim tab on the elevator gone.... Obviously that would cause a problem, but would it be enough to create that signficat of a problem? Maybe at that high of speed..... I just don't know. And the tail wheel was down.... Right there along with the trim tab missing should show you something was going wrong....
Click to expand...

Where the pilot sits

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/dasher4/reno2010/?action=view&current=Ghost.jpg
 
crashaz said:
Right now is time to concentrate on the survivors and prayers for those who lost their lives. I cannot think of anything worse then this happening... just tragic. Reminds me of LeMans 1955...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Le_Mans_disaster

... this is going to be a tragedy in so many ways.
Click to expand...

My thoughts are with the people at Reno, just heard this on the BBC News.

I must admit it reminded me not of Le Mans, but of an earlier targedy, Farnborough in 1952.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_Farnborough_Airshow_DH.110_crash

 
Can someboby explain to me why the FAA authorise 74 years old pilots to fly high
performance Air Race modified P-51 Mustangs ?

Could it be more logical and safer to set an age limit ( 50 years old for example ) to fly
these types of HP aircrafts.

Older race pilots can still be owners of these Air Racers but please, let younger pilots
under 50 at the controls !
:kilroy:
VaporZ
 
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