Sunday, September 18, 2011

Update: Reno Air Race Crash

From the RGH: 9:35 a.m. update: Four patients remain in critical condition at Renown Regional Medical Center this morning.
One patient is listed in serious condition, five in fair condition and four in good condition.
Since Saturday, two additional walk-in patients have been treated at the hospital, bringing the total number of patients received at the hospital to 36.
In all, 20 patients have been discharged.
8:30 a.m. update: Citing family members and the Washoe County Medical Examiner, newspapers and television stations in Seattle report that Greg Morcom, 47, of Bellevue, Wash., is one of the victims killed in Friday's crash at the National Championship Air Races.
A tour near the site offered to journalists Saturday evening revealed debris spread in a fan-shape over more than an acre around a crater roughly 3 feet deep and as much as 8 feet across. Based on the crater's location, it appears the P-51 Mustang went straight down in the first few rows of VIP box seats, or about 65 feet in front of the leading edge of the grandstand.
Yellow crime tape surrounded the scene and spectator seats remained askew.
Officials confirmed that Leeward died in the crash. One spectator, 22-year-old Michael Wogan of Phoenix, was also killed, according to his family. His father, Bill, was also injured and was in critical condition on Saturday.
http://www.rgj.com/article/20110918/EVENTS05/110918001/Four-victims-Reno-Air-Races-crash-remain-critical-condition-Renown?odyssey=moddefcontextFRONTPAGE
And the investigators will certainly look at this, from the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune:
In a podcast uploaded to YouTube in June, Leeward said major changes were made to the plane before this year's race. He said his crew cut five feet off each wing and shortened the ailerons -- the back edge of the main wings used to control balance -- to 32 inches, down from about 60 inches.
The goal was to make the plane more aerodynamic so it goes faster without a bigger engine.
" know the speed. I know it'll do the speed. The systems aren't proven yet. We think they're going to be OK," he said.
Tim O'Brien of Grass Valley, Calif., who is chairman of an air show in his hometown and photographed Friday's races, said Leeward's P-51 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.
When the aircraft hit the ground, there was a "big explosion but no fire," O'Brien said
.
http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20110918/CWS0101/109180444/Reno-crash-killed-9-probe-focuses-wayward-part?odyssey=tabtopnewsimgFRONTPAGE
It is curious to me that there was no explosion or fire, even a small one. It's as if there was no fuel on the plane to explode.

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