Loose screws blamed in Reno air race crash
Source: SF Chronicle
The crash of a highly modified vintage fighter plane that killed 11 people at an air race in Reno last year was caused by loose screws in the tail assembly and alterations to the aircraft that weren't adequately tested, federal investigators said Monday.
The loose screws - including one with a crack - led to a malfunction in the mechanism that control the plane's up and down movements, the National Transportation Safety Board said during a meeting in Washington, D.C.
As a result, the World War II-era P-51 Mustang piloted by Jimmy Leeward, 74, rolled sharply to the left, flew straight up and then pitched nose first onto the tarmac during the Reno National Championship Air Races on Sept. 16. Leeward and 10 spectators were killed and 60 others were hurt.
The safety board moved quickly to determine the cause of the crash and to develop safety recommendations in advance of this year's air races scheduled for next month in Reno, said board chairwoman Deborah Hersman.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Loose-screws-blamed-in-Reno-air-race-crash-3818582.php
Panasonic
(2,921 posts)JohnnyRingo
(18,581 posts)Thanx for posting this. I likely wouldn't have seen it otherwise. That's why I come to DU, it's a clearing house for news that slips through the cracks.
MicaelS
(8,747 posts)I'm surprised that it simply didn't break up in mid-air.