Bad Crash at the Reno Air races.

[sniper7]

Jimmy Leeward was the pilot. 74 years old

[Elhuero]

they'll just point out how much crap is flying from that little plane crash, and why isn't there a mountain's worth from that hollow aluminum can that hit the Pentagon.

Edit:

Looks like the tailwheel is down in this photograph. I wonder if it was a hydraulics issue. Standard P-51s have mechanical controls, but a high speed plane like this would benefit from the extra power and speed of hydraulics...

http://i.imgur.com/zFHcm.jpg

yeah, people like that are immune to facts.

I hope it was a mechanical failure, and not a health issue. not that it means anything to the dead, but better for the memory the pilot.

[sniper7]

looks like the engine still had power. I am guessing first a mechanical problem with the controls. not sure how those racing planes are rigged up other than high speed low drag, as light as they can get with as much power as they can get. but the tailwheel should not be down. Possibly fly-by-wire technology in these. I'll do some more research, but that would be the lightest thing for these planes.

second guess is medical problem, but that doesn't explain the tailwheel, so not really too confident in that one.

[jerrymrc]

Looking more like mechanical. There is a report he called a "Mayday" which is standard procedure to call and move outside the racing area.

[Ridge]

^^Elevator trim tab. Used to provide constant force on the surface without the pilot needing to hold the stick off center.

Could that be enough to have sent it into that barrel roll?

[BPTactical]

That was my thought-would loss of a trim tab be enough to cause a catastrophic loss? Aileron yes- trim tab?? Control surface flutter?
I caught a bit of an interview last night of the pilot a couple days prior-he made reference to Friday being a big day and pulling out all the stops or similar.
Maybe a mod that went bad?

Rough summer for 'Stangs and Fortress's.

[Ridge]

That was my thought-would loss of a trim tab be enough to cause a catastrophic loss? Aileron yes- trim tab?? Control surface flutter?
I caught a bit of an interview last night of the pilot a couple days prior-he made reference to Friday being a big day and pulling out all the stops or similar.
Maybe a mod that went bad?

Rough summer for 'Stangs and Fortress's.

If it just broke off, I'd assume he'd abandon the race and make an emergency landing. But if it broke and held on like that, it could cause a lot of drag and uneven force applied to the controls. At the very least it would start a roll.

[Drilldov2.0]

The father of a friend from Military School, the first man who taught me to fly in his Stinson, was 100 feet from where the plane hit. Luckily he survived without a scratch. (Probably a big mental scar though)

[Tweety Bird]

Elevator flutter is my guess, based on that picture of the elevator.

Flutter can rip the controls up and could explain the trim tab separation. Those things do 500 MPH, which is probably 100 more than the original design was engineered for. I'm sure the elevator and ailerons are still covered in fabric and dope and it wouldn't take much imbalance to get things fluttering at that speed.

I got an email that the NTSB is on scene; I can't imagine that they're going to have much evidence left to look through. The video showed the terminal dive and I bet the speed was easily 400 MPH; it was really going fast when it hit.

Godspeed, Jimmy. You were a good one.

[sniper7]

Looking more like mechanical. There is a report he called a "Mayday" which is standard procedure to call and move outside the racing area.

just saw this on the news as well. not good when your trip tab goes. I wonder if there was any contact anywhere with another aircraft.

or possibly hydraulic blow, high pressure could do that (most systems 3000 PSI), then loss of pressure might drop the tail wheel. main gear would probably have mechanical lock ups and would be released with emergency gear extension. so pretty good scenario there.