I just heard that a pilot at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, ran out of altitude, airspeed and ideas and then disassembled his P-51 in the bleachers at the air race.
No word on casualties, other than “a mass casualty situation exists.”
This is bad, really bad.
Just heard updated news : 3 dead including the pilot and 54 injured. Thats not a bad as first feared but still the worst in the shows history. Sad but as a veteran of many airshows its always possible at a show that something could go wrong. The remainder of the show has been cancelled so the investigation can continue.
Tragic the pilot was Jimmy Leeward been racing for years, I was a tech inspector for five years at the races and know Jimmy and talked with him last year. The aircraft actually crashed on the Tarmac in front of the stands the injured were in the box seats in front of the stands. It,s looking like he lost an elevator servo tab and at 400 mph it would make the elevator unmoveable. This most likely be the last Air Race as we know it today–RIP Jimmy.
‘Galloping Ghost’ - a world-famous Mustang, along with its pilot, is no more. At least four people are dead, including Jimmy, fifty-six spectators are said to be in a critical condition and many more are otherwise injured.
Thought and prayers to all concerned.
tac
John Neal said:To make this the last Air race would be the real tragedy. Everybody knows that racing is dangerous, and all accept the risk, even the spectators who pay big bucks to sit in the dangerous seats so they can hear those Merlins roar just over their heads.
Tragic the pilot was Jimmy Leeward been racing for years, I was a tech inspector for five years at the races and know Jimmy and talked with him last year. The aircraft actually crashed on the Tarmac in front of the stands the injured were in the box seats in front of the stands. It,s looking like he lost an elevator servo tab and at 400 mph it would make the elevator unmoveable. [b] This most likely be the last Air Race as we know it today[/b]--RIP Jimmy.
Horrific, some nasty footage on the web now. I’d hate to see them close it down too. The pilots know the risk, I’m not sure all the spectators do (but they should).
Many are calling the plane an antique that shoulod not have been allowed to fly, clearly they do not understand that the plane was so extensively rebuilt and inspected that it was virtually new.
Sad indeed.
Yeah, like the B-52. The unwashed say that is an antique, too, but I’ll wager that there is nothing on that airplane, including the aluminum it is built of, that is older than, say 10 years, or so.
BBC confirm 9 dead. A terrible day for all concerned.
As I noted on another forum - thank the Lord there was no fire, else we might have seen scenes reminiscent of the Ukraine or Ramstein crashes from a few years back.
tac