The FAA is taking a lot of stick for its slack regulation of air race and air show operations, and rightly so. The NTSB, investigating the crash of an air-race-modified P-51D Mustang last September at Reno, Nevada has made recommendations on just about every possible aspect of the FAA's oversight.
This is "The Galloping Ghost". Would you recognise that as a Mustang? I'd struggle! It's been trimmed for pure speed, with other aerodynamic considerations taking a back seat.
One of the NTSB criticisms was that the aircraft was extensively modified with no oversight of the modification process. Then it flew the Reno course at the limits of its performance envelope in front of the crowd without having been tested. No trial runs. No FAA rules requiring it.
Ten people in the crowd were killed by the crashing aircraft, and more than 60 were severely injured.
Here's an NTSB diagram showing how extensive the modifications were. Compare it with the photograph at the top of this post.
Air racing is a thrilling sport, and inherently dangerous. That's why we go to see it. The pilots and the operators know what the risks are, and have the task of balancing them. But the spectators should not face a high risk of death. This crowd did because of where it was: at the apex of the racetrack's high-G final turn.
NTSB head Deborah Hersman says she doesn't intend to bind air racing with paranoic rules, she just wants to make sure common sense is applied to its planning and execution, and says the FAA's guidelines are not up to the job. They aren't.
But I expect they will be.
This is "The Galloping Ghost". Would you recognise that as a Mustang? I'd struggle! It's been trimmed for pure speed, with other aerodynamic considerations taking a back seat.
One of the NTSB criticisms was that the aircraft was extensively modified with no oversight of the modification process. Then it flew the Reno course at the limits of its performance envelope in front of the crowd without having been tested. No trial runs. No FAA rules requiring it.
Ten people in the crowd were killed by the crashing aircraft, and more than 60 were severely injured.
Here's an NTSB diagram showing how extensive the modifications were. Compare it with the photograph at the top of this post.
Air racing is a thrilling sport, and inherently dangerous. That's why we go to see it. The pilots and the operators know what the risks are, and have the task of balancing them. But the spectators should not face a high risk of death. This crowd did because of where it was: at the apex of the racetrack's high-G final turn.NTSB head Deborah Hersman says she doesn't intend to bind air racing with paranoic rules, she just wants to make sure common sense is applied to its planning and execution, and says the FAA's guidelines are not up to the job. They aren't.
But I expect they will be.
on April 13, 2012 7:29 PM | Reply
For years I've wondered about flight safety during airshows and training for airshows. Include showing off to people on the ground for the sake of it.
I did a little research after I noticed a guy died hanging under a Lynx demo and there was hardly any media coverage. I was astonished about the number of low profile "show" related accidents during the previous yr. We only hear (see) of the big ones.
It left me with the feeling we all love the shows so much, there's a clear interest to have them (military / industry) and continue to turn a soft eye on them. I myself have seen three airshow crashes, an F15, Mig29 and ME109. And I wasn't a very frequent visitor. IMO airshows are not as safe as we tell ourselves / hope and statistics are blurry / mistified. The show must go on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBwMJUOFmlM
on April 14, 2012 2:07 AM | Reply
I don't attend because it's dangerous, and if you can't tell that the Ghost was a P-51, then you don't know a hell of a lot about avaition.
on April 16, 2012 9:58 AM | Reply
Cheer up Tim!
on April 19, 2012 2:53 PM | Reply
Well Tim, David Learmount is still alive@65-chrono and has flown much. Not least, last September 2011, in a Battle of Britain Spitfire. Still, the Galloping Ghost N79 of 74 year old Jimmy Leeward galloped westward into the G-apex windward and bit the dust hard and added 10 other ghosts to his galloping posse on September 16 2011, wings well and truly clipped . Yes Siree Tim !, you know too much about people who know nothing of aviation, as you imply. Here’s to Jimmy and Clear for takeoff Capt. Bernstein!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45KAjt7v4t4