Airplane crash at Reno air races 2011 Friday sept 16

Holy Shit!! ~~'mass casualty situation'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zusClmg4IQg

 

Oh fuck that is bad. Right on the ramp.

I have seen too many of these over the past twenty years, but never on the ramp. I need to call people.

 

damn.... cant say much else right now.

 

ya this doesnt look good.

Linky to Reno 4x4's thread on this:
http://www.reno4x4.com/forum/showthread.php/53698-crash-at-the-air-races!!!!

 

No workie



EDIT: Never mind, had to go into youtube to watch.

 

12 Dead so far. 30 serious injuries. RIP...


Stay tuned

 

Wife and I were watching from the hills and left about an hour and a half before it happened.
Prayers & Support thread with info
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/pr...port-needed-after-p-51-crash.html#post3736027

 

This is really bad. I would not be surprised if this is the last Reno ever.

http://www.rgj.com/article/20110916...-involved?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|FRONTPAGE

Couldn't reach my bud, but I hope to god none of my friends were at that spot. And god help the people who were.

 

Geoff, are you there on the ground?

 

no, a friend called me .... he was VERY shook up!

 

Wife and I were there but left before it happened.
More info at http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/pr...port-needed-after-p-51-crash.html#post3736096

 

That's a dangerous game and I'm sure the pilots understand and accept the risks. It's really bad though, when bystanders are taken out.

 

New video.
After 50 sec jump to 3 min 15 sec

http://youtu.be/nTzX35wOGas

 

Purchase ImageZoom
Long time Reno Air Race pilot Jimmy Leeward with his P51 mustang "Galloping Ghost: Wednesday Sept. 15, 2010 at the Reno National Championship Air Races. Leeward was the pilot involved in a deadly crash Friday, Sept. 16, 2011. / Marilyn Newton / RGJ file

 

My bud just called. He is not there, but his dad was and saw it happen. His dad is a former unlimited pilot (Race 10 Critical Mass) for whom I crewed about 20 years. He is also a former air force pilot and Viet Nam vet with thousands of hours of stick time. I say this only as a basis for authority in his observation.

What he observed was Jimmy's plane being caught in wake turbulence from the aircraft in front of him, and this forced him hard left. He tried to correct hard right abck on course. In fast-frame photographs, they could see that the hard control inputs at speed tore off the elevator's trim tab, caused loss of elevator control, a steep pitch up at 45 degrees, bent the empennage (tail section), and it was all over after that. No control.

Estimating 20 dead, 100 wounded.

RIP.

 

Galloping Ghost? Sheesh. what a name..

So apparently there was a crash last year on 9/19/2010
But the pilot survived and there were no casualties. Seems like what happened today was bound to happen sometime.

http://youtu.be/s0IhgMkN3wA

 

It was far from the first time. But is also by far the worst without exception. I have seen several fatal crashes over the years.

 

Maybe, maybe not there has been a few Reno air race crashes over the years

 

I know, but at least with auto races, there are barriers protecting the fans. With this, there is nothing to protect them. Maybe if the organization had something fencing in the fans, at least the shrapnel might have been contained to a small area and deflected.

Nevertheless it's a scary and sad thing. I doubt it's an end to the sport so hopefully they'll make advances in protecting the crowd.