Analysis of Sept. 16, 2011 Reno Air Race Crash

The death toll from last Friday’s tragic crash at the Reno Air Races has officially reach eleven; seven dying at the crash site and four more succumbing to critical injuries and dying in the hospital.

So what happened to the aircraft?

Why did the veteran pilot suddenly pitch up in his modified P-51 Mustang, The Galloping Ghost, roll inverted and slam nose first into part of the spectator viewing area?

Right now the videos of the crash and its horrific aftermath don’t yield a whole lot of clues.  People recording the race were focused on many of the racing aircraft, and it’s hard to find a clear video of The Galloping Ghost.  And from what I’ve seen in the news, personal accounts of the accident match what little we can see in the amateur videos.

Fortunately for the NTSB and anybody else looking for answers, a few photos have surfaced and they actually shed quite a bit of light as to the final moments of The Galloping Ghost and veteran pilot, Jimmy Leeward.

Reno Air Race 2011 - The Galloping Ghost - before final raceReno Air Race 2011 – The Galloping Ghost – before final race

Taken some point before its final race, here we can see The Galloping Ghost on the taxiway at Reno.  Inside the red circle you can clearly see pilot Jimmy Leeward sitting in his seat.  As a whole, cockpits for fighter aircraft are usually cramped with just enough room for the pilot to effectively move the controls and safely maneuver and navigate the aircraft.

Reno Air Race 2011 - The Galloping Ghost - rolling inverted w/ missing elevator trim tabReno Air Race 2011 – The Galloping Ghost – rolling inverted w/ missing elevator trim tab

After rounding the final race pylon, The Galloping Ghost abruptly pulled up, rolled inverted, and then pitched downward and smashed into the ground.  Take a look at the left elevator on the tail of the aircraft.  That missing section should have the aircraft’s elevator trim tab.

Why is this important?

The missing elevator tab explains everything in this tragic incident.

The elevator controls the pitch of the aircraft (raising the nose up and down).  The elevator trim tab is a separate tab and basically an elevator on an elevator.  The pilot can use a wheel in the cockpit and manually set the trim tab for certain situations, taking pressure off the control stick and letting him have more precise control of the aircraft.  This would be especially important when it comes to high speed flying while maneuvering at low attitudes and around a race track.

It’s conceivable that when The Galloping Ghost rounded the final pylon, the aircraft hit the wake from the aircraft directly ahead of it.  This turbulent air racing over the aircraft could have easily ripped off the elevator trim tab, especially with the aircraft rolled over for the turn and the pilot applying back pressure on the control stick, raising the elevator and pulling up the nose to try to get a tighter turn.  Tight turns at high speeds have been common since the earliest days of air combat dating back to World War 1.

Assuming this theory is correct, the wake turbulence could have suddenly ripped off the elevator trim tab, causing the aircraft to violently pitch its nose upward and smash the pilot back against his seat in excess of nine or ten times the force of gravity.  Remember that the faster that the aircraft is flying, then the more g’s that the pilot and any passengers would feel during a sudden, violent maneuver.

 Reno Air Race 2011 - The Galloping Ghost - missing pilotReno Air Race 2011 – The Galloping Ghost – missing pilot

This last picture has been rotated so that we can have a better understanding of the aircraft in its final moments.

Here we have The Galloping Ghost plunging downward and a second or two before impact.  Notice how the P-51’s tail wheel has been lowered.  More importantly, notice how the pilot is not visible in the cockpit.  The missing pilot means one of two things:  Either he’s slumped so far forward that not even his shoulder restraints can keep his helmet visible, or his seat broke and the pilot and seat are further down in the aircraft’s fuselage.

Both of those scenarios about the pilot, along with the extended tail wheel, fit perfectly with the ruptured elevator trim tab theory.  The violent pitch upwards and massive g-force load on the aircraft could easily make the tail wheel deploy.  That heavy load would also make almost any pilot, no matter his age, black out and become unconscious.  The fact that the pilot is not visible in this picture implies that either he’s slumped down in the cockpit or a loose or weak bolt holding his seat failed, and him and the seat are further back inside of the airframe.

Either way, whether the pilot was unconscious or back inside the aircraft, he would be unable to control the aircraft and avoid the crash.

Keep in mind that this is just a theory of mine and the NTSB may come to a different conclusion when its experts analyze this tragic crash.

But is the missing elevator trim tab causing a violent maneuver such a fantasy story?

Nope.  Such an event with a P-51 at an air race did occur, and the pilot lived to tell the tale.

Back in 1998, a modified P-51 Mustang named Voodoo Chile lost a left elevator trim tab while racing in Reno.  Pilot Bob Hannah was hit by about 10g as his aircraft violently pitched up and screamed into the sky.  He regained consciousness at around 9,000 feet and was able to make a safe landing.  The main difference between Voodoo Chile and The Galloping Ghost is that The Galloping Ghost rolled inverted and crashed while Voodoo Chile kept its wings level enough to continue climbing into the sky.  And the rest is aviation history.

2011 Reno Air Race crash (crash occurs at 01:20)

It’s unfortunate that the online forums are filled with people so harsh against the pilot and air races in general.

For starters, many of the uninformed people continue to call the event an “air show.”  Ummm, no.  People, this was an air race, and not an air show.  Yes, air demonstrations do take place between races and race events, but as a whole this was an air race.  Hell, it’s even in the name of the event — Reno Air Races (a.k.a. National Championship Air Races).

2011 Reno Air Race crash – angle #2

Many uninformed people have also been criticizing the pilot’s age and the fact that he was even allowed to pilot an aircraft.  After all, aren’t all seniors senile and unable to do simple tasks such as driving a car or even dialing a telephone?

Pssst.  Not all seniors act that way.  The active ones are still able to do complicated tasks that would put youngsters to shame.

The world of aviation is one of the toughest industries in the world.  On top of all of the knowledge it requires and incredible amount of training in each type of aircraft, the FAA also has these pesky things known as medical examinations.  Commercial, professional, and aerobatic pilots (along with air racing), require the most stringent of examinations, and they’re very frequent.  You will get used to seeing the FAA medical doctors if you’re a career pilot.

As far as the pilot himself being 74 years old, does that really matter?

Jimmy Leeward was a veteran pilot and air racer with nearly sixty years of aviation experience.  His reaction speed may not have matched that of a hyperactive twenty-year-old who sucks down energy drinks every two hours, but seeing how he’s a veteran air racer, I’m sure he was just fine for controlling an aircraft at such a high speed and low altitude.  Throw in his years and years of aviation experience, and there you go.  I’d bet that if there was a way for Leeward to avoid the crowd, then he would have done everything within his power to make it happen.

Folks, this was an accident most likely caused by a freak mechanical failure.  This was a horribly tragic event for all people involved, especially those who lost their life, but air racing will still continue.  People still crossed the Atlantic after the Titanic, astronauts still flew into Earth orbit after the Challenger disaster, and people still drive their cars through the most dangerous intersections in town.  Life has risks.  Air racing will continue.