Investigators ID Cause of Reno Air Races Crash

Credit: AP / World Wide Photos

Nearly a year has passed since pilot Jimmy Leeward lost control of his modified P-51 during the Reno Air Races and plummeted into the crowd. The fiery crash killed 10 spectators and Leeward.

In the early days after the accident, the cause appeared to be a piece of the plane called the elevator trim tab. As PM contributor Jeff Wise wrote last September, the tab has been linked to similar accidents in the past. In air races like Reno, pilots deploy the small piece of metal out as far as they can to stabilize the plane, but that can put a tremendous amount of stress on the tab.

Yesterday the National Transportation Safety Board released its final report on the crash, which says, yes, the failure of the trim tab was the cause off the accident. Specifically, NTSB says: ?deteriorated locknut inserts? allowed the trim tab attachment screws to become loose, and even initiated fatigue cracking in one screw. This condition, which resulted in reduced stiffness in the elevator trim system, ultimately led to aerodynamic flutter at racing speed that broke the trim tab linkages, resulting in a loss of controllability and the eventual crash."

Pilots push these planes to the limit, and this isn?t the first time disaster struck at Reno. The NTSB also says that Leeward made many other alterations to the 70-year-old ?Galloping Ghost," but that its investigators could find no evidence he properly notified the FAA about some of them.

The 2012 Reno Air Races begin Sept. 12.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/how-to/blog/investigators-id-cause-of-reno-air-races-crash-12141717?src=rss

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