Reno Air Races Crash!

[Mike]

Holy crap! Have you guys heard!???

I am totally devistated!   

Just this morning Stef and I were talking about how we didn't post any Reno strips and how we could have dropped the ball on this.
Now I am kinda glad we didn't do any hillarious Reno stuff because it suddenly isn't funny anymore....

This may be the end of one of the greatest aviation events in history....

My heart goes out to all of the friends and families of all those victims...

 

shots facing West 

[The Sumsum]

RIP Mr. Leeward, you are a hero.

[Rooster Cruiser]

Horrible news.  It appears Leeward may have lost his elevator trim tab, which would have induced a high speed flutter (speculation).  I have been reading on other forums that pilots flying behind him reported seeing debris coming off his airplane before he lost control.

A sad day.  I hope and pray they don't shut down the races for good, but I won't be surprised if it happens.  This is what caused the Cleveland Air Races to be cancelled back in the 1940's

RC

[Rooster Cruiser]

Copied from another forum, and said to be taken at Reno.  Another still photo I saw of Galloping Ghost right before impact showed the tailwheel extended.  It indicates some major structural damage occured seconds before he hit the box seats.

RIP Jimmy Leeward, and my condolances to those who lost loved ones in the box seats.

RC

[Oddball]

I've heard that YouTube have taken down a video that was posted about the crash.

Facing west 

[Oddball]

Has any one heard about the T-28 crash in at the Thunder Over the Blue Ridge Open House Air Show in Martinsburg yet? from what I've read only the pilot was involved in this one. 


http://uk.news.yahoo.com/air-show-death-toll-rises-amid-second-tragedy-012630140.html

[Mike]

Has any one heard about the T-28 crash in at the Thunder Over the Blue Ridge Open House Air Show in Martinsburg yet? from what I've read only the pilot was involved in this one. 


http://uk.news.yahoo.com/air-show-death-toll-rises-amid-second-tragedy-012630140.html

seen the video.

I can't figure out what happened there. It doesn't look like they hit mid-air and he finishes almost all of his barrel roll and then stops short for some reason.
This is a weird one.

What a shame! 2 crashes in one weekend?!!

I hope this doesn't get those overly liberal "let's fix the world for everybody because we know better" to shut down airshows now.....

Aviation needs airshows!

[G-man]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3ORMFEHQAc

Cannot figure it out either....

[Mike]

Copied from another forum, and said to be taken at Reno.  Another still photo I saw of Galloping Ghost right before impact showed the tailwheel extended.  It indicates some major structural damage occured seconds before he hit the box seats.

RIP Jimmy Leeward, and my condolances to those who lost loved ones in the box seats.

RC

I saw another picture of the plane just before the impact and you can't see the pilot in the cockpit.
Weird!

[chuckar101]

My dad was at the races down near the rare bears pit.  Several people there said he was getting flutter and something had fallen off right before he went vertical.  My dad said he heard him goosing the power trying to get the nose back around.

[G-man]

I saw another picture of the plane just before the impact and you can't see the pilot in the cockpit.
Weird!

It is thought he passed out and slumped forward due to the excessive g-forces in the climb.

[YawningMan]

That doesn't make sense, though. Unless he was trying to get out of the cockpit, he should still be in view. Well, I'm not an expert on Mustangs, but I know a few things about high-performance airplane harnesses. They strap themselves in so tight they can barely move. Even if his head was slumped, I don't think it would completely disappear from view at that angle.

I don't have enough evidence to back up what I'm saying, so just label it speculation and take it for what it's worth.

[Mike]

That doesn't make sense, though. Unless he was trying to get out of the cockpit, he should still be in view. Well, I'm not an expert on Mustangs, but I know a few things about high-performance airplane harnesses. They strap themselves in so tight they can barely move. Even if his head was slumped, I don't think it would completely disappear from view at that angle.

I don't have enough evidence to back up what I'm saying, so just label it speculation and take it for what it's worth.

That's what the people were saying from whom I got the picture. At least some of his helmet should have been visible.

One theory is that there was some major malfunction inside the cockpit (floor collapsing?) which could have pushed everything backwards and down into the tail.....

It's good that the public thinks he is a hero and he tried his best to avoid the crowd but I have a feeling he passed out as soon as the plane pitched up as hard as it did.
Just my humble opinion....

[Rooster Cruiser]

It is likely that Jimmy was dead even before Galloping Ghost hit the ground.  According to this video, it is possible that the G forces inflicted on his plane may have been as high as 20 G's!  This would explain why his tailwheel would have extended (structural failure) and if that did happen, it could explain why Jimmy wasn't seen in the cockpit since it is likely his seat buckled from the over-G stressloads.  Such a high G load would probably have snapped his neck as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCBbosq9-RI&feature=player_embedded

RIP Jimmy Leaward.  <Facing West>   

RC

[Mike]

makes sense I guess...
It's kinda what I was suspecting as well just watching the whole thing on tape.

did you read a report somewhere?
I can't view the video, it says "it's private".....