Reno crash telemetry

[Highlander]

I got an email from a fellow pilot that knows one of the crew members of the galloping ghost (the plane that crashed in reno)

Here is the telemetry they recorded during the crash. If you haven't heard, they used an onboard telemetry system to monitor aircraft performance.

Airspeed around pylon 7 495 mph.
When the trim tab broke off the aircraft pitched up pulling 21 G's and airspeed reduced to 375. ( tailwheel popped out, pilot slumped below view).
Throttle stayed wide open at 105 " manifold pressure until impact.
Airspeed at impact was 425.
Looks like pilot went to sleep in the pull and was out for the duration.
The fire was suppressed by a special foam that was in the tanks.
11 fatalities including the pilot.

----
With a 21 g pull the pilot blacked out almost instantly.

I've read a lot about the crash on many aviation web sites. Many posts from witnesses and ground crew members. When the trim tab broke their wasn't a thing that could be done.

 

[twenty5]

Terrible accident indeed.

When the trim tab broke their wasn't a thing that could be done.

I assume this could have been avoided if someone didnt over modify a 70 year old plane to do things it was never designed to do all at an extremely dangerous distance from bystanders. That is besides the fact that a lot of late 70s and older drivers cant control a vehicle at 60mph let alone a plane at 500.

 

[Mmalone999]

21 G's!

 

[Highlander]

The plane had been extensively modified, there was very little of the original aircraft left. Most of it was new or only a few years old. This is something not pointed out by the news media because they don't take time to look into things.

As to the pilot, he was a veteran of many decades of airshow, air race and test piloting. Even if he was an ultra fit f18 jock fresh out of the military, he would have blacked out just the same and the same result would have happened. Age had nothing to do with it.

 

[twenty5]

I think if you want to race around in something you built that you should be able to do it, just do it in an area that you wont hurt or kill anyone besides yourself.

Age probably had nothing to do with it, I agree. My statement about age was not addressing the crash, just wouldnt want to be near an 80 year old man in a plane doing 500mph over my head.

 

[stogies&hoagies]

wow wow (1 wow was too short a reply to post)

 

[Kenman25]

That footage of that crash is crazy...

 

[veeref]

A few of my co-workers were watching the race that day. One of them was 5 rows up from the point of impact. Most of the debris and large engine parts flew overhead from where he was standing. The carnage he witnessed definitely changed his outlook in life.

With the speeds these planes go, the trim tab keeps the airplane trimmed nose-down. When it broke off, the plane pretty much just shot up like you mentioned. 21 G's and the pilot suffered G-induced Loss of Consciousness, or G-LOC. If you look at the footage, you probably won't even see the pilot, because he's slumped into the floor. IMO, had the airplane not pitched up so violently he might have regained consciousness. At any rate, that data recorder definitely helped the investigation.

 

[GoingPostal]

I think if you want to race around in something you built that you should be able to do it, just do it in an area that you wont hurt or kill anyone besides yourself.

Think this is what baffles me the most. We have a pretty big airshow every year and thing is planes are always at a distance when doing the most dangerous manuvers, Hopefully changes will be made so that tragedy like this wont happen again.

 

[Highlander]

This was the first non pilot fatality incident in the history of the race, but I'm sure they will be making adjustments if they continue, which the flying community hopes that they do.

People involved with the organization and planning there have made many posts and one thing that is stressed is they practice for this type of thing a lot every year.