The most harrowing images I've seen from Reno (no gore)

[JohnnyRingo]

A split second away:

[Syrinx]

1. it was like something from those horrible Final Destination movies

So horrible. So sad.

[Lasher]

2. Looks like there's nobody in the cockpit.

I wonder if the pilot was incapacitated and slumped over.

[leveymg]

3. That's what I was thinking. No chance he bailed-out?

[B Calm]

4. The glass cockpit is still intact

[leveymg]

5. It's a sliding or hinged canopy - could have reclosed in a dive?

We should still see this guy's head, if he was still strapped in.

[undeterred]

10. What is it that we do see in the cockpit?

[leveymg]

20. The pilot's head. It's not there, as it should be.

Particularly with the plane nose down.

[undeterred]

22. Well there is a line there- is it the seat on an angle?

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

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[JohnnyRingo]

27. Don't get people going. LOL

[Major Hogwash]

6. What kind of plane is that?

Looks like an old WWII plane.

[leveymg]

7. It's a modified P-51 Mustang. Like a lot of air-racers.

It's basically a hot-rodded WW2 warbird.

[titaniumsalute]

8. While it is odd yo don't see any bubble from a helmet

Many modified P-51s the pilot sits a little back from the canopy in an almost laying down position for the rudder pedals. I would think you could still see him some but maybe not at this angle.

It was obviously one of two things that happened. The ailerons may have faltered because in one video you see the wings rocking back and forth before he winged over and crashed. If his cables snapped or were severely hampered that would happen. Kind of like a steering wheel getting stuck only turning 20 degrees while speeding down a freeway.

Or the man had a severe physical problem...IE Heart attack, stroke, etc. HE was in VERY good health for 74 years old...but at 74 years old you can still have a massive end of life episode anywhere. (I guess you can have one at any age but as you age you obviously have a higher risk.)

[JohnnyRingo]

15. You're right.

They recline also to minimize the effects of G-forces and the ensuing blackouts. Lying back prevents the drain of blood from the upper extremities. I see in his bio he was born in 1932, but I'm sure a medical is required before the race. Still, at 80 years old, anything is possible. I wondered as well whether he may have had an episode when he first pulled up off the course, but it's also possible he loaded the wings to the point of a stall.

These racers have clipped wings for a higher top speed, but that raises the wing loading (lbs per sq ft) and increases the likelihood of a high speed stall. A stall at that altitude would not be recoverable.

[MicaelS]

19. One of the pictures posted on MSNBC show the

Trim tab on the port (left) elevator is missing. Here's a link from another site. http://www.aviationlawmonitor.com/2011/09/articles/accident-investigation-1/reno-p51-mustang-lost-elevator-trim-tab/

For anyone who doesn't understand a trim tab's function, here's the Wikipedia link:. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trim_tab

Here's a closeup picture of a display Mustang's right elevator and trim tab.

[titaniumsalute]

23. I saw the trim tab photo later today

That would certainly pose a problem. If you don't understand trim it is basically for when a pilot os flying straight at a set altitude. The elevator (back of the plane that moves the nose up and down) can be slightly tweaked during flight to keep the nose from moving up and down at straight and constant flight. Although the trim tab is small if it became missing at such a fast rate of speed coupled with such a low altitude it would cause some serious effect with the nose of the plane.

[FarLeftFist]

9. The pilot is probably curled up in fetal position.

[leveymg]

11. The pilot, assuming he's in the plane, should be strapped in tight. Not possible, unless

he released his restraints. That's not likely, though, unless he tried to bail-out.

[Gin]

12. what is the wheel at the back of the plane? is that always down?

[warrior1]

13. why wasn't there a fire ball?

Normally that's what you would see in a plane crash.

[JohnnyRingo]

14. That's what we normally see in Hollywood.

These race prepared Mustangs don't need enough fuel to fly to Berlin and back, so they only carry enough to complete a race. At six pounds per gallon, fuel weight is a real consideration when trying to fly a top speed. The added weight also increases wing loading which prevents tight pylon turns.

Still, I'm surprised there wasn't a small fire.

[Posteritatis]

21. Most plane crashes you see involve larger aircraft and sometimes more energetic fuels

There isn't that much fuel in a P-51 compared to modern military aircraft, to say nothing of airliners.

[jberryhill]

24. It's an air race... fuel = weight... these are sprints.

[JVS]

30. Because loading up a plane with enough gasoline to go 1650 miles would be highly irresponsible.

[JohnnyRingo]

16. Mustang tail wheels do not retract.

It's trade off between streamlining and adding weight so far back from the center of gravity. On a moment arm, weight placed so far away from the fulcrum point would have to be countered by adding a lot of weight to the front of the plane, and weight is the bane of air racers.

[MicaelS]

18. Mustang tail wheels do not retract????

Where did you get that idea? Plenty of pictures of the P-51 in flight showing the tail wheel retracted. And the official Boeing website clearly states the Mustang had "Hydraulically operated retractable main gear and tail wheel" http://boeing.com/history/bna/p51.htm

The pictures from Reno clearly show the tail wheel door extended.

[JohnnyRingo]

26. My mistake then

I've been to a lot of airshows and built a lot of R/C models, and I swear I've see a lot of them fixed.

[Fumesucker]

17. There are two basic types of landing gear, taildragger and tricycle..

With a tricycle gear the wheel that steers is in the front of the plane, on a taildragger it's at the rear.

The P51 is a taildragger and has no wheel in the front, here's a P51 on the ground. And yes, they're tricky to steer on the ground.

[cherokeeprogressive]

28. Taildraggers are also really susceptable to "ground looping". n/t

[burrowowl]

29. K&R