Plane crashes into crowd at Reno Air Race

[Zboy]

A few hours ago.....

A bunch of people in the crowd dead and several more injured.

This year has not been a kind one for Air shows.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hzvro_u73xM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[napalm_black]

I never liked planes. This compounds my dislike for them after I read the story about some of my favorite hockey players dying in a plane crash last week.

[RedRedemption]

How did that even happen?

[Zboy]

I heard that the pilot blacked out.

[rockets934life]

Well no more festivals and airplane shows for me.

[BrieflySpeaking]

wow..my teacher suggested to go to this air show yesterday :eek:

[Royals Ego]

oh wow, what a way to die

[Rip Van Rocket]

I just heard that they are reporting mass casualties. Terrible tragedy.

[youknowme]

Wow. I read the pilot was 80 years old? Not sure if that is too old to fly a plane.

[VanityHalfBlack]

The Pilot blacked out....

[Behad]

so far only 3 confirmed dead
http://news.yahoo.com/3-dead-56-injured-horrific-reno-air-show-020656982.html

[Cowboy_Bebop]

Can't believe this retarded air shows are still going on. Never understood why these thing flying next to the spectators. To top it off you have a 74 year old guy flying it.

[jasonemilio]

That is so unbelievable and so tragic. Condolences to the families that are affected by this

[Carl Herrera]

I never liked planes. This compounds my dislike for them after I read the story about some of my favorite hockey players dying in a plane crash last week.

Airplanes don't kill people. Terrorists kill people.

[Behad]

Can't believe this retarded air shows are still going on. Never understood why these thing flying next to the spectators. To top it off you have a 74 year old guy flying it.

The pilot is now being credited with saving lives by getting the plane away from the crowd.

"The way I see it, if he did do something about this, he saved hundreds if not thousands of lives because he was able to veer that plane back toward the tarmac," said Johnny Norman, who was at the show.

O'Brien, who is chairman of an air show in his hometown in California, was photographing Friday's races when the crash occurred.

He said the P-51 Mustang was racing six other planes, and was in the process of moving from third place into second, when it pitched violently upward, rolled and then headed straight down.

From the photos he took, O'Brien said it looked like a piece of the plane's tail called a "trim tab" had fallen off. He believes that's what caused the plane's sudden climb.

[codell]

From RGJ.com:

http://cmsimg.rgj.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Site=J7&Date=20110916&Category=EVENTS05&ArtNo=109160802&Ref=PH&Item=2&Maxw=620&Maxh=465&q=60

http://cmsimg.rgj.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Site=J7&Date=20110916&Category=EVENTS05&ArtNo=109160802&Ref=PH&Item=7&Maxw=620&Maxh=465&q=60

[RoxSqaud]

Holy sh-t.

[rcoleman15]

The pilot is now being credited with saving lives by getting the plane away from the crowd.

"The way I see it, if he did do something about this, he saved hundreds if not thousands of lives because he was able to veer that plane back toward the tarmac," said Johnny Norman, who was at the show.

O'Brien, who is chairman of an air show in his hometown in California, was photographing Friday's races when the crash occurred.

He said the P-51 Mustang was racing six other planes, and was in the process of moving from third place into second, when it pitched violently upward, rolled and then headed straight down.

From the photos he took, O'Brien said it looked like a piece of the plane's tail called a "trim tab" had fallen off. He believes that's what caused the plane's sudden climb.

It appears that this particular quote is looking to be true as it does appear from the enhanced pic below that a portion of the plane's tail was indeed missing before it crashed.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/1592/renonew1377459a.jpg

[SunsRocketsfan]

It appears that this particular quote is looking to be true as it does appear from the enhanced pic below that a portion of the plane's tail was indeed missing before it crashed.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/1592/renonew1377459a.jpg

Where is the pilot???

[Master Baiter]

It appears that this particular quote is looking to be true as it does appear from the enhanced pic below that a portion of the plane's tail was indeed missing before it crashed.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/1592/renonew1377459a.jpg
If I had Photoshop skills I'd chop DaDakota's face in the cockpit.....

[BrieflySpeaking]

It appears that this particular quote is looking to be true as it does appear from the enhanced pic below that a portion of the plane's tail was indeed missing before it crashed.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/1592/renonew1377459a.jpg
from the angle it does look as if the elevator is missing but it's there. the trib tab is a function that keeps the elevator at an angle of which you want it to be, sort of like a cruise control. it frees the pilot from applying constant pressure on the pitch controls. that piece broke off, and unfortunately the pilot didnt have enough time to recover.

[rcoleman15]

from the angle it does look as if the elevator is missing but it's there.

How small do those things (elevators) get when it comes to racing planes as I am supposing modifications have been made there?

I've seen a couple of P-51s before at an aviation museum that one of my friends owns in Pennsylvania and remember the tail section or elevator as you put it looking like any other plane and very distiguishable.

In that pic all I can see is the side (metal) of the plane and what looks like a dust/dirt outline and a thin white strip of metal that looks like nothing like which is represented in the pics in this image link below of p-51s from google....

Google pics of P-51s (http://www.google.com/search?q=p-51+mustang+for+sale&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=624&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=gOd0TpzYIIbjsQKRlPmLBQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBIQ_AUoAQ#hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=p-51+mustang+racing&pbx=1&oq=p-51+mustang+racing&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=27817l29162l0l29489l7l7l0l5l5l0l174l286l0.2l2l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=3647d3b9676bb6ee&biw=1366&bih=624)

or this video of some similar racing P-51s from what I take is the same racing event in Nevada from back in 2008...
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3wUsFjTyG8M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[codell]

From CNN.com:

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/US/09/17/nevada.plane.crash/t1main.reno.stabilizer.kolo.jpg

[Mr. Brightside]

Air shows- Stuff white people like.

[Behad]

Another pilot killed in 2nd air show crash.
http://galvestondailynews.com/ap/acb2a4/

[Xerobull]

from the angle it does look as if the elevator is missing but it's there. the trib tab is a function that keeps the elevator at an angle of which you want it to be, sort of like a cruise control. it frees the pilot from applying constant pressure on the pitch controls. that piece broke off, and unfortunately the pilot didnt have enough time to recover.

Tragic subject aside, this is why CF is the best message board on the internet. If you are curious about something, chances are there is a member or three who is an expert. Medical issues? Got it. Plane mechanics? No problem. Want to meet a prostitute at a strip club? Gotcherback.

[mylilpony]

Air shows- Stuff white people like.


http://www.forumgarden.com/forums/attachments/general-tv-shows/965d1110036213-reno-911-4.jpg

[what]

It is a tragedy, to be sure. But something tells me these air shows need a heavy dose of regulation.

How many times are people getting killed at these things. They are up in the air dodging each other at 300-500 miles an hour.

How many mid-air collisions have there been?