Reno P51
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Australia
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* *Telemetry downloaded from Galloping Ghost revealed an 11g pullup, fuel flow
interrupted on the way up, and then the engine restarted when fuel flow resumed
at the top of the arc. *The aircraft was making 105 inches of MP (Manifold
Pressure) on the way down.
* *Subject: : Galloping Ghost crash
* *Ok... here's the skinny on the accident.... *A P-51 normally has two trim
tabs.. one on each elevator... this one had one and other one was fixed in
place.. He was warned about the forces being put on that one tab. *It failed..
He had at least a 10G load when the plane pitched up from the loss of the trim
tab and he went "nighty night" and probably never woke up.
* *Here's the “theory” of the crash from experienced racers.
* *In 1989 this type of thing happened to another pilot but he lived to tell
the story. When flying a P-51 at 450+mph you need to have full nose down trim to
keepthe plane level. The elevator trim tab broke off and the aircraft imediately
went in to a 10G climb, confirmed by the G-meter. The pilot came to, from the
sudden blackout and realized he had slipped through the shoulder harness and was
looking at the floor of the airplane. He was able to reach the throttle and pull
it back to slow down and was able to recover and land.
* *Photo oneis the airplane taxiing, note the pilots head in the canopy.
* *Fast forward to 2011
* *Photo twois typical oil canning as a result of the tremendous torque these
engines put out at high power.
* *Photo three is a photo of GG upside down with a missing elevator trim tab.
Note all you see is the back of the pilots head indicating he is being forced
down in the cockpit.
* *Photo four is a view of the left side nose down with the tail wheel extended
and no view of the pilot. The tail wheel is held up by hydraulics only with no
mechanical uplock, thus indicating a high G-force causing it to extend.
* *Photos five and six are from the left side prior to impact, note no view of
the pilot and the tail wheel extended.
* *Photo sevenis the debris just after the crash. To the right of center above
the crowd it appears to be the wing with the
*
interrupted on the way up, and then the engine restarted when fuel flow resumed
at the top of the arc. *The aircraft was making 105 inches of MP (Manifold
Pressure) on the way down.
* *Subject: : Galloping Ghost crash
* *Ok... here's the skinny on the accident.... *A P-51 normally has two trim
tabs.. one on each elevator... this one had one and other one was fixed in
place.. He was warned about the forces being put on that one tab. *It failed..
He had at least a 10G load when the plane pitched up from the loss of the trim
tab and he went "nighty night" and probably never woke up.
* *Here's the “theory” of the crash from experienced racers.
* *In 1989 this type of thing happened to another pilot but he lived to tell
the story. When flying a P-51 at 450+mph you need to have full nose down trim to
keepthe plane level. The elevator trim tab broke off and the aircraft imediately
went in to a 10G climb, confirmed by the G-meter. The pilot came to, from the
sudden blackout and realized he had slipped through the shoulder harness and was
looking at the floor of the airplane. He was able to reach the throttle and pull
it back to slow down and was able to recover and land.
* *Photo oneis the airplane taxiing, note the pilots head in the canopy.
* *Fast forward to 2011
* *Photo twois typical oil canning as a result of the tremendous torque these
engines put out at high power.
* *Photo three is a photo of GG upside down with a missing elevator trim tab.
Note all you see is the back of the pilots head indicating he is being forced
down in the cockpit.
* *Photo four is a view of the left side nose down with the tail wheel extended
and no view of the pilot. The tail wheel is held up by hydraulics only with no
mechanical uplock, thus indicating a high G-force causing it to extend.
* *Photos five and six are from the left side prior to impact, note no view of
the pilot and the tail wheel extended.
* *Photo sevenis the debris just after the crash. To the right of center above
the crowd it appears to be the wing with the
*
Saw an email where information gained from the Video from the aircraft shows the trim failed AFTER the pull up. Rumors suggest the aircraft had undergone major modifications immediately prior to the Race, had not had a full set of airtests done prior to the race, and that having a very aft CG combined with turbulence caused the upset during which the trim tab failed.
from one who knows!
This may clarify the issue somewhat.
Good News for the future of air racing.
Sea Fury "Team Furias"
Our new crew member, Matt Jackson, is not only a race pilot, aircraft
business owner and aircraft owner (he also takes care of Tom Cruises P-51)
but he is also the VP of the Unlimited Racing Class and head of the Safety
Committee.
We had a long talk about the Reno crash on the way to Mojave today.
Matt believes the cause of the crash was due to The Galloping Ghost having a
CG too close to the aft limit which resulted in pitch instability. There are
instructions on the P-51 regarding no combat missions with the aft fuel tank
full resulting in an aft CG problem. Instructions specify to empty the aft
fuel tank first in flight.
During qualifying Matt watched Galloping Ghost from inside the cockpit of
Furias and could not believe how much trouble Leeward was having in keeping
the Ghost in a stable pattern around the course.
Since Leeward lives in Florida and the Galloping Ghost was modified for
racing in Calif., when Leeward picked up the Ghost for the Reno races at the
last minute, a complete flight test program had not been done based on
available information.
There is a video of the entire last lap of the Ghost before the crash which
Matt showed me. As Leeward was coming around pylon #8 at about 480 mph after
passing Rare Bear, he hit turbulence which pitched his left wing down,
Leeward corrected with hard right rudder and aileron. Just as the aircraft
was straightening out, he hit a second mountain of turbulence which caused
the tail to 'dig in' resulting in a 10+ G climb rendering Leeward
unconscious instantly and resulted in the tail wheel falling out. (broken
tail wheel support structure was found on the course). As the Ghost shot
upward the LH aileron trim tab broke loose. This can be heard on the tape,
so the trim tab did not cause the accident.
Since the Ghost was racing at 480 mph with full right rudder and the stick
full right, this is where everything stayed when Leeward blacked out.
Cockpit camera film that was salvaged from the wreck shows Leeward slumped
over to the right in the cockpit. As a result, the Ghost climbed up and to
the right, rolled over on her back and then headed for the box seats. Most
in the box seats never saw it coming because it came in from behind them.
Matt has had long conversations with the NTSB who call the accident a
'fluke'.They are not going to recommend canceling future races. He has also
talked to the insurance companies covering the races for Reno and they also
say they are not going to cancel their coverage of future races. Now we wait
for the FAA to make a decision.
Ironically, Matt had bought box seats tickets for his good friends who stayed
with him for a few days before the races. They were the husband and wife who
were killed.
Good News for the future of air racing.
Sea Fury "Team Furias"
Our new crew member, Matt Jackson, is not only a race pilot, aircraft
business owner and aircraft owner (he also takes care of Tom Cruises P-51)
but he is also the VP of the Unlimited Racing Class and head of the Safety
Committee.
We had a long talk about the Reno crash on the way to Mojave today.
Matt believes the cause of the crash was due to The Galloping Ghost having a
CG too close to the aft limit which resulted in pitch instability. There are
instructions on the P-51 regarding no combat missions with the aft fuel tank
full resulting in an aft CG problem. Instructions specify to empty the aft
fuel tank first in flight.
During qualifying Matt watched Galloping Ghost from inside the cockpit of
Furias and could not believe how much trouble Leeward was having in keeping
the Ghost in a stable pattern around the course.
Since Leeward lives in Florida and the Galloping Ghost was modified for
racing in Calif., when Leeward picked up the Ghost for the Reno races at the
last minute, a complete flight test program had not been done based on
available information.
There is a video of the entire last lap of the Ghost before the crash which
Matt showed me. As Leeward was coming around pylon #8 at about 480 mph after
passing Rare Bear, he hit turbulence which pitched his left wing down,
Leeward corrected with hard right rudder and aileron. Just as the aircraft
was straightening out, he hit a second mountain of turbulence which caused
the tail to 'dig in' resulting in a 10+ G climb rendering Leeward
unconscious instantly and resulted in the tail wheel falling out. (broken
tail wheel support structure was found on the course). As the Ghost shot
upward the LH aileron trim tab broke loose. This can be heard on the tape,
so the trim tab did not cause the accident.
Since the Ghost was racing at 480 mph with full right rudder and the stick
full right, this is where everything stayed when Leeward blacked out.
Cockpit camera film that was salvaged from the wreck shows Leeward slumped
over to the right in the cockpit. As a result, the Ghost climbed up and to
the right, rolled over on her back and then headed for the box seats. Most
in the box seats never saw it coming because it came in from behind them.
Matt has had long conversations with the NTSB who call the accident a
'fluke'.They are not going to recommend canceling future races. He has also
talked to the insurance companies covering the races for Reno and they also
say they are not going to cancel their coverage of future races. Now we wait
for the FAA to make a decision.
Ironically, Matt had bought box seats tickets for his good friends who stayed
with him for a few days before the races. They were the husband and wife who
were killed.
Grandpa Aerotart
Or not. There are some very strange people out there
What Didn't Cause the Reno Air Race Crash
Lately there’s been an email circulating that purports to be from someone on the Wildfire Air Racing team who had a long talk with race pilot Matt Jackson about Jimmy Leeward’s crash last month at the Reno Air Races. The email says that Jackson was racing at the time in his own Unlimited-category plane and witnessed firsthand the trouble that Jimmy Leeward was having as he rounded the course. According to the email,
There is a video of the entire last lap of the Ghost before the crash which Matt showed me. As Leeward was coming around pylon #8 at about 480 mph after passing Rare Bear, he hit turbulence which pitched his left wing down, Leeward corrected with hard right rudder and aileron. Just as the aircraft was straightening out, he hit a second mountain of turbulence which caused the tail to ‘dig in’ resulting in a 10+ G climb rendering Leeward unconscious instantly and resulted in the tail wheel falling out. (broken tail wheel support structure was found on the course). As the Ghost shot upward the LH aileron trim tab broke loose. This can be heard on the tape, so the trim tab did not cause the accident.
This is conclusion is diametrically opposed to the conclusion that I (and many others) reached, based on the information available—namely, that the failure of the trim tab caused the steep climb, not vice versa. As the email was forwarded to me by a trusted and experienced member of the aircraft community, I was surprised and concerned by its assertions.
I was also a bit skeptical. There are many things in the email which don’t make much sense; turbulence doesn’t come in “mountains,” and I’ve never before heard of any such phenomenon as a tail “digging in.”
I was even more dubious about this:
Matt has had long conversations with the NTSB who call the accident a ‘fluke’. They are not going to recommend canceling future races. He has also talked to the insurance companies covering the races for Reno and they also say they are not going to cancel their coverage of future races. Now we wait for the FAA to make a decision.
The NTSB is highly secretive about their ongoing investigations, which are very serious matters with life-and-death consequences. They are a long way off from reaching a conclusion, and will not issue their report until next year. Only then will the FAA be in a position to change its rules.
Something smelled fishy. So I put a call in to Matt Jackson. Sure enough, Jackson knew exactly what I was talking about and immediately wanted to make clear that he did not write the email. “It’s all BS,” he said. “There’s a lot of misinformation about what actually happened. It’s not a correct synopsis of what went on.”
For one thing, though he was indeed enrolled in the Unlimited air race along with Jimmy Leeward, he sat out that particular heat due to mechanical difficulties, so he could not have witnessed Leeward’s difficulties from the air.
Jackson says that he tried to track down who wrote the email, so far without success.
“I’d love to know who it is,” he says. “I’m sure that was written either by someone either that has met me or has spoken to me at some point in time, because I meet thousands of people, going to the air race every year, being in the position I’m in. I have to deal with a lot of people that I meet once and might not ever talk to again in my lifetime, and I’ve been doing this a long time. It’s an unfortunate thing. People want to feel important. The power of the internet is that you can make a statement of fact and post it but not have any ramifications because you’re not identified.”
The point he emphasized repeatedly during our conversation was that, above and beyond the specific inaccuracies in the email, it describes him blabbing about an ongoing investigation. “For me to even comment or even voice my opinion about what went on would not be appropriate,” he says. “I don’t endorse or support any comments that have been posted about what I’ve said or haven’t said.”
Lately there’s been an email circulating that purports to be from someone on the Wildfire Air Racing team who had a long talk with race pilot Matt Jackson about Jimmy Leeward’s crash last month at the Reno Air Races. The email says that Jackson was racing at the time in his own Unlimited-category plane and witnessed firsthand the trouble that Jimmy Leeward was having as he rounded the course. According to the email,
There is a video of the entire last lap of the Ghost before the crash which Matt showed me. As Leeward was coming around pylon #8 at about 480 mph after passing Rare Bear, he hit turbulence which pitched his left wing down, Leeward corrected with hard right rudder and aileron. Just as the aircraft was straightening out, he hit a second mountain of turbulence which caused the tail to ‘dig in’ resulting in a 10+ G climb rendering Leeward unconscious instantly and resulted in the tail wheel falling out. (broken tail wheel support structure was found on the course). As the Ghost shot upward the LH aileron trim tab broke loose. This can be heard on the tape, so the trim tab did not cause the accident.
This is conclusion is diametrically opposed to the conclusion that I (and many others) reached, based on the information available—namely, that the failure of the trim tab caused the steep climb, not vice versa. As the email was forwarded to me by a trusted and experienced member of the aircraft community, I was surprised and concerned by its assertions.
I was also a bit skeptical. There are many things in the email which don’t make much sense; turbulence doesn’t come in “mountains,” and I’ve never before heard of any such phenomenon as a tail “digging in.”
I was even more dubious about this:
Matt has had long conversations with the NTSB who call the accident a ‘fluke’. They are not going to recommend canceling future races. He has also talked to the insurance companies covering the races for Reno and they also say they are not going to cancel their coverage of future races. Now we wait for the FAA to make a decision.
The NTSB is highly secretive about their ongoing investigations, which are very serious matters with life-and-death consequences. They are a long way off from reaching a conclusion, and will not issue their report until next year. Only then will the FAA be in a position to change its rules.
Something smelled fishy. So I put a call in to Matt Jackson. Sure enough, Jackson knew exactly what I was talking about and immediately wanted to make clear that he did not write the email. “It’s all BS,” he said. “There’s a lot of misinformation about what actually happened. It’s not a correct synopsis of what went on.”
For one thing, though he was indeed enrolled in the Unlimited air race along with Jimmy Leeward, he sat out that particular heat due to mechanical difficulties, so he could not have witnessed Leeward’s difficulties from the air.
Jackson says that he tried to track down who wrote the email, so far without success.
“I’d love to know who it is,” he says. “I’m sure that was written either by someone either that has met me or has spoken to me at some point in time, because I meet thousands of people, going to the air race every year, being in the position I’m in. I have to deal with a lot of people that I meet once and might not ever talk to again in my lifetime, and I’ve been doing this a long time. It’s an unfortunate thing. People want to feel important. The power of the internet is that you can make a statement of fact and post it but not have any ramifications because you’re not identified.”
The point he emphasized repeatedly during our conversation was that, above and beyond the specific inaccuracies in the email, it describes him blabbing about an ongoing investigation. “For me to even comment or even voice my opinion about what went on would not be appropriate,” he says. “I don’t endorse or support any comments that have been posted about what I’ve said or haven’t said.”
come and listen to Matt Jackson speak about Reno at the Australian Warbirds safety meeting and dinner to be held in Brisbane on Sat 12th Nov. Non-members are welcome go to Australian Warbirds Association - AWAL for details.
