Tragedy strikes Reno Air races

[1320wayne]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/16/reno-air-show-plane-crash_n_967137.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%7C96366

The unthinkable happened today at the 2011 Reno Air Races when a pilot flying a P-51 lost control and crashed into an area where spectators were watching. To date the news is stating that there are three fatalities, including the pilot, and at least 75 injured. A sad event for all involved.

[Chuck Most]

I was just looking up P-51s online today, and the Wikipedia entry on this one said it had been involved in a crash on September 16, 2011. I thought "Wait... that's today!" Did a little web searching and found out...

[Lunajammer]

A tragedy, the scope of which can't be fully comprehended from news accounts. The conservative casualty count will most certainly rise. For those of us who monetarily support the preservation of warbirds, this will fuel the debate over whether they should continue to fly or should be grounded to be preserved for future generations while we still have them. Regardless of debate, our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, race-goers and the community.

[diymirage]

if im to mention one thing about this that i read in the news it would be that the pilot (who didnt survive the crash) was credited with avoiding greater disaster by pulling up the plane when he did and avoiding the grandstand area

i know its little comfort to those who lost loved one but things could have been much worse

[Dr. Cranky]

These kinds of accidents have been happening more often . . . and they tend to be horrible, this one the worst so far . . . a real tragedy indeed. I hope they DON'T pass laws that prevent people from flying their war birds.

[Ben]

These kinds of accidents have been happening more often . . . and they tend to be horrible, this one the worst so far . . . a real tragedy indeed. I hope they DON'T pass laws that prevent people from flying their war birds.

Noooo, there has been much worse! There was a jet (looked like an F16) at a Russian air show that came down and flew straight through the crowd for quite a long distance before actually exploding. The pilot was able to eject but it killed hundreds.

[DanielG]

A tragedy, the scope of which can't be fully comprehended from news accounts. The conservative casualty count will most certainly rise. For those of us who monetarily support the preservation of warbirds, this will fuel the debate over whether they should continue to fly or should be grounded to be preserved for future generations while we still have them. Regardless of debate, our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, race-goers and the community.

This was not a preserved warbird but a heavily modified racing machine. It did not even look like a P-51 any more, with a new cooling system and a 3600 HP rated engine. I am wondering if this airframe was just pushed beyond its capabilities.

[Agent G]

The Reno Gazette Journal officially reports 3 dead, 56 injured, 13 of which are in critical condition. Our counterparts from the Reno office briefly assisted. They reported total carnage.

The plane went in, and bounced into the box seating area in front of the main grandstand.

It was a heavily modified P51, and reported to be one of the oldest modified planes on the circuit. Regardless, this is quite a tragedy.

[Rob Hall]

CNN is reporting 9 fatalities now

[Rob Hall]

Noooo, there has been much worse! There was a jet (looked like an F16) at a Russian air show that came down and flew straight through the crowd for quite a long distance before actually exploding. The pilot was able to eject but it killed hundreds.

77 killed, 543 injured in that one..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sknyliv_airshow_disaster

[Junkman]

http://www.huffingto...c1_lnk3%7C96366

The unthinkable happened today at the 2011 Reno Air Races when a pilot flying a P-51 lost control and crashed into an area where spectators were watching. To date the news is stating that there are three fatalities, including the pilot, and at least 75 injured. A sad event for all involved.

The unthinkable?

I was at Reno once and since then I'm only surprised that this hasn't happened earlier and isn't happening more often.

All I can say is that a car race held under such safety conditions, or rather the total absence of them, would be nixed within minutes.

And exactly like in Ramstein 1988, everybody who attended the event knew exactly what he attended and what the danger is.

The thrill is a main motivating factor for many people to attend air shows, me included.

[RANDY L]

HI

i live in the Carson City, Reno area everybody up here is devastated by this accident.Our thoughts go out to the pilots family

and all the people hurt and familys hurt in this accident

Randy Ludi

[Agent G]

Randy,

I live in Henderson, and with my background know all too well how this effects a community. Everyone has my thoughts and prayers, especially the emergency services. That's two major trauma scenes in as many weeks.

G

[Art Anderson]

This was not a preserved warbird but a heavily modified racing machine. It did not even look like a P-51 any more, with a new cooling system and a 3600 HP rated engine. I am wondering if this airframe was just pushed beyond its capabilities.

Looks as though the left elevator trim tab tore away. With a total of 10 feet of wingspan clipped off, leaving ailerons only 40 inches long, it appears to me as though that missing trim tab acted like an aileron when the pilot used elevator to keep the nose up in that last screaming turn around a pilon, forcing the plane into a roll to the right, which took him off course, toward the spectators. It appears that he tried to correct, but at 500mph, he could not react before his Mustang nosed up into a snap roll, which at that proximity to the ground, was almost guaranteed to be fatal. Terribly sad, especially more so given the death toll and injuries on the ground.

Art