NTSB report on the fatal crash at RENO is released.

[HappyHappy]

The thing that caught my attention is this.

"The acceleration reached a maximum value of 17.3 g. The
maximum acceleration was reached 0.47 seconds after the roll angle magnitude
reached its maximum value."

This explains why the pilot appeared to be missing.
No human can remain awake at 17g's.

It appears that the conclusion is that the failure of the elevator trim tab
and the modifications to the airframe and control bob weight (similar to Bill Odom's crash here)
caused the roll, pitch up, over G and fatal crash.

Top speed during the heat was recorded at over 530mph, lap speeds were at 460mph.
Damn fast for a prop plane.

HH

[Pudfark]

That would be a fair conclusion HH.

[fatman]

The thing that caught my attention is this.

"The acceleration reached a maximum value of 17.3 g. The
maximum acceleration was reached 0.47 seconds after the roll angle magnitude
reached its maximum value."

This explains why the pilot appeared to be missing.
No human can remain awake at 17g's.

It appears that the conclusion is that the failure of the elevator trim tab
and the modifications to the airframe and control bob weight (similar to Bill Odom's crash here)
caused the roll, pitch up, over G and fatal crash.

Top speed during the heat was recorded at over 530mph, lap speeds were at 460mph.
Damn fast for a prop plane.

HH

Wasnt the airframes limit about 13g

[HappyHappy]

Fats-ster, I believe the P-51 was one of the strongest airframes of the day.
AFTO-1 for the F-51D (written long after WWII) limited the plane to 9G.
My guess is 13G was close to the point of catastrophic failure.
At 17G I will venture a guess that the pilot support (seat) and restraints had failed and Mr Leward
was pinned and unconscious at the bottom of the fuselage.
According to the report the airframe exhibited skin buckling and the tail
wheel had deployed from the over G.

I would guess if the high G turn had continued the plane would have shed it's wings or broken up.

HH

[Pudfark]

I'm glad I ain't the Doc who signed off on that old pilots medical.
It really would have made no difference, the same outcome for anybody.
Though, it will always be a wonder? If someone younger, could have handled
it better?

Most folks have never "pulled" any high positive G loads...Just guessing, me, about
5 G and maybe as much as 2 negative G. Trust me, negative G sucks. All in a Super
Decathlon, me doing the flying, with a CFI, 13 years ago.

My thinking was along the lines of yours HH. You said it first and well.

[Reservoir_Dog]

It's Obama's fault.

[Pudfark]

everybody uses Obama as a prop...

[ruggbutt]

It's Obama's fault.

According to Obama the pilot wasn't flying the plane. The government did it.

[Pudfark]

All of what you said Rugg and this lil bit...

If the tax "loopholes" for the rich, had been closed and their collective wealth redistributed to the lazy, lame and unfortunates.....this would have never happened.
This is another example of how "your" government needs to help you. You didn't build it, you ain't gonna own it, but you damn well better know, you're responsible for paying the taxes on it.

[callmeslick]

it's utterly amazing how folks living in a nation whose infrastructure was essentially ALL built by government dollars(roads, water management, power grid), seem incapable of grasping Obama's point that NOBODY builds a business without doing so on the shoulders of the public facilities available. NOBODY.