P-51 Mustang crashes in Nevada, killing three and wounding dozens

[Paulus_Gun]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14957437

What a horrible event. The 74-year-old pilot changed direction from the main stage to save as many people as possible.

Here is the video of the crash:

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video...iref=allsearch

[thatswar1944]

just saw it pop up on yahoo as breaking news..just awful news all round...
wayne

[Stijn David]

sad

Hello


I just heard it on the belgian radio this morning. My toughts are with the family's from the deceased and the wounded. Sad thing that happened.


Cordial greetings,

[corporalSteiner]

sad...seemed a nice guy the pilot...one can argue against using real gear for reinactment, polishing original gear, etc...but surely flyable vintage fighters need to be kept flying...the whole experience of watching and hearing vintage aircraft take to skies is primordial, infinately instructive on the experience of war...for airshow spectators, the experience was a bit too tragically close to home...

[DennyB]

sad...seemed a nice guy the pilot...one can argue against using real gear for reinactment, polishing original gear, etc...but surely flyable vintage fighters need to be kept flying...the whole experience of watching and hearing vintage aircraft take to skies is primordial, infinately instructive on the experience of war...for airshow spectators, the experience was a bit too tragically close to home...

How long do you keep flying them? Is having them in a race really the best way to display them? Seems to me that taking it a bit easier on them would preserve them much better than running them wide open. Just my thoughts...

[prussian.guard]

I believe this race was started after wars end and ex fighter pilots bought planes off the government and raced each other.it's tragic and yes maybe they should start using modern planes to race.

[Gran Sasso]

How long do you keep flying them? Is having them in a race really the best way to display them? Seems to me that taking it a bit easier on them would preserve them much better than running them wide open. Just my thoughts...

My thoughts exactly - 74 year old pilot taking plane almost same age to the limit... Sooner or later that old material is just worn out, no matter how many millions you put into it.

Keep them flying, but no more races.

[Alan Smith]

Yes - they really put some serious wear, tear and stress on these vintage warbirds by using them in mondern-day races. I don't like it and think that if the 60+ year old warbirds are to be kept flying, it should be under carefully controlled circumstances where the pilots work to minimize wear and tear. Running these old aircraft "wide open" is just a recipe for disaster.

If anyone is keeping score . . . . let's see: we lost the P-51 in England earlier this year; the B-17 near Chicago; and now this P-51. Also, I hear that a 1950's-era surplus military aircraft (T-28) was lost today at an airshow in West Virginia.

[Death-Ace]

All things go in the end, nothing's permanent, no matter how long they are preserved. But the memories and those who decide to build (sometimes, quite literally, noting the new build WWI and WWII warbirds) are what makes this worth it. Unfortunately, this event will forever be imprinted in the minds of those that witnessed this crash.

Let's keep in memory the brave soul flying that amazing aluminum bird and those who's excitement led them to the show. Too young

I agree though, about the races. However, even modern aircraft can be just as deadly. Maybe its time for new build P-51s for those that wanted to?

Blue Skies of Thunderbolts,
Lev

[Jägermarty]

If anyone is keeping score . . . . let's see: we lost the P-51 in England earlier this year; the B-17 near Chicago; and now this P-51. Also, I hear that a 1950's-era surplus military aircraft (T-28) was lost today at an airshow in West Virginia.

There was a wing walking fatality in USA too.

It's been a bitch of a year for the warbird scene

[Fritz]

Here is other footage of the event, he starts losing control at about 3 sec..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha95cl2gvPI

[History]

The way i understand it this plane was heavily modified. When i first saw the footage or photo I thought it was P-47 not a P-51. Turns out it was a P-51 and one photo shows the trim tab gone from the horizontal stabilizer as it was heading toward the ground . Who knows if we will find out what happened be it aging parts, air frame or person/pilot/mechanic error.

[Gran Sasso]

Another one has just crashed in West Virginia...

[Hoss]

Gents
The P51 involved in the tragic Reno race wasn,t a 'pukka' plane. Being heavily chopped and modified for pure racing speed.

Regards
Eric

[Paul Carter]

Most of these high performance race planes have no vintage parts left on them. The are modern planes that only slightly resemble the vintage planes we so love. A very tragic event. My prayers to the families.