A P-51 Mustang WWII plane nicknamed “Galloping Ghost” piloted by Jimmy Leeward (74) crashed in the stands of an air show at Reno-Stead airport, Nevada on September 16, 2011. There were 11 known dead and over 50 wounded.
Reno Nevada Ari Crash Moment of Impact Video
Witnesses told KTVN that planes in the Unlimited race were ascending when one aircraft started to nose-dive and then crashed near a spectator stand in the southeast corner. KTVN said the aircraft was a vintage P-51.
The plane splintered into pieces, strewing debris into the nearby stands.
Mike Draper, a spokesman for the Reno National Championship Air Races, described the scene as “a mass-casualty situation.”
Early details of the crash allude to the possibility that some form of mechanical failure was involved in the crash.
Authorities said it appeared that a mechanical failure with the P-51 Mustang — a class of fighter plane that can fly in excess of 500 mph — was to blame. The pilot, Jimmy Leeward, was among those killed.
Two others have been confirmed dead, but their identities have not been made public.
‘Big explosion’
O’Brien, who is chairman of an air show in his hometown in California, was photographing Friday’s races when the crash occurred.He said the Mustang 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.
Latest report about the Reno Stead airfield Crash
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Early video reports on the Reno Stead Airfield Crash
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Google Map Reno Stead Airfield Centered on Impact Point (zoom in to see details)
