P-51 Crash

[kopfjäger]

P-51 crashed at the Nevada Air Races, next to a box seating section.

[He Man]

http://www.google.com/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=p-51+crash&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=p-51+crash&oe=utf-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbm=nws&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wn&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.&fp=4cf6854c04268dfe&biw=1280&bih=646


RIP

[Punx Clever]

The unlimiteds are pretty make the beast with two backsing wild.  A tragedy to be sure...

Lets hope that we don't hear calls for an end to the air races though.

[elyse]

Im in Sacramento & ive been going to the air races for over 20 years..i was actually going tomorrow...this is just so sad to me...unfortunately there is already talk of ending the races, i truly hope that doesn't happen..

[RAT900]

You can expect that the "Safety Bubble Suit" people will raise a Hue and Cry to ban anything and everything that smacks of risk or fun........... their list is very, very long

As for the race it is unfortunate

but spectating at sporting events that involve high-speed objects (bikes, cars, planes, baseballs, hockey pucks etc)

have risks...and sometimes the spectators inadvertantly become participants....

almost never with a good outcome I might add

[muskrat]

sad.  I too hope they don't cancel the races but in today's litigious world I'm leaning towards it going away.

[swampduc]

Lets hope that we don't hear calls for an end to the air races though.

They've already begun 
we should just regulate away all risk or responsibility and become Europe already 

truly tragic. Reports are that the pilot attemted to pull away from the stands, but was unsuccessful.

[Bick]

we should just regulate away all risk or responsibility and become Europe already 

That's right.  It is the govenments' duty to protect us from ourselves!

Radiation from my laptop may be causing cancer, so I need to go back to my bubble room now.

[badgalbetty]

sad day for the families of those involved. I dont care about the air races but I do care that people have lost loved ones. It really is a sad day for a lot of people.
I wonder if the pilot had a heart attack or stroke? Howcome he did not bail? why did he not steer the plane away from the crowds? I bet something happened to the pilot before the crash. There is no blame at this point, only a lot of sadness.
My condolences to all families involved including that of the pilot.

[Punx Clever]

sad day for the families of those involved. I dont care about the air races but I do care that people have lost loved ones. It really is a sad day for a lot of people.
I wonder if the pilot had a heart attack or stroke? Howcome he did not bail? why did he not steer the plane away from the crowds? I bet something happened to the pilot before the crash. There is no blame at this point, only a lot of sadness.
My condolences to all families involved including that of the pilot.

From what I've read, it sounds like nothing happened to the pilot before the incident.  Reports say that he lost control of the aircraft (mechanical failure most likely), and was headed directly towards the grandstands.  The pilot pulled up to avoid said grandstands, and ended up coming down near the box seating area.  The simple fact is, the pilot did everything he could to not kill thousands of people, and succeeded in that fact.  Sucks that three people have died and many others are hospitalized, but it's better than a thousand dead.

As for the pilot's health, the reports also mention that he was in great health... in order to fly those planes like that you pretty much have to be.  His right leg was probably as big around as a tree.

He didn't bail because in WWII there were no ejection seats.  Let alone ejection seats that work at 50 feet (the zero-zero seat is a fairly recent and pretty awesome bit of kit).  Doing 500 MPH 50-150 feet off the ground, there's no time to bail.  Hell, in a T-34, NATOPS says you need to be out the plane before 2400 feet, if I remember right, if you want to survive.


At the end of the day... it seems to me that if you go to the air races, it's pretty obvious that you are taking a major risk.  Old warbirds going 500mph, balls out, 50 feet above the ground and less than a quarter mile away from you?  Yeah, that's dangerous.

[badgalbetty]

well whatever reason for the crash it is a sad day in a lot of people lives.

In ww2 I know there were no ejection seats as technology had not got that far in production aircraft

It was canopy back straps off and out- bail out time, plenty of pilots did it.

I also understand that there may have not been time in this instance and that perhaps the plane suffered a mechanical issue. Either way it is a sad day for many.

Not arguing any of your points just saying.

[Punx Clever]

I understand, just providing a bit of insight.

[TAftonomos]

I'd venture a guess that any of those guys would stick with it all the way in if unsure about where it might land/hit.  I know damn well that would be my plan.

RIP Leeward.

[fastwin]

My Dad was an instructor in the old Army Air Corp and was later involved in the old Confederate Air Force (name is now PC friendly ) for years and years. He had a T-28 Trojan and a series of T-6 Texans. His two big "plane parties" every year were the Reno air races and the Oshkosh fly in. He hit them both every year until he got too old to fly. I think not flying is what finally killed him.

Really sad to hear about the accident. I can't believe more folks didn't get killed. That number could unfortunately rise due to the number of critically injured. Very sad indeed. Still no reason to cancel the races. Bad things happen. Life is dangerous. It's supposed to be.

[elyse]

reports are coming out that a piece of the tail had fallen off the plane... i dont believe there was an ejection seat but even if their had been i highly doubt it would have been used... those pilots out there would try everything in their power to maneuver away from the crowd

as for the health of the pilot, he was in great health & all of the pilots at the races must undergo annual exams by a flight surgeon

there's been 9 reported casualties so far