N79111 Galloping Ghost P-51D NTSB Findings

[Doug Robertson]

The NTSB report on the Reno Air Races 2011 September crash of Jimmy Leeward's highly modified P-51D Mustang Galloping Ghost has been released yesterday. The crash with multiple fatalities (first race fatalities in the crowd at Reno) was linked to structural mods on the highly modified aircraft. The crashed aircraft bore modifications that weakened its structure and showed evidence that it was flown beyond its limits.

The failure of a "tail structure"-(the elevator trim tab) was deemed the probable cause of the crash that killed pilot Jimmy Leeward and ten people on the ground with injuries to more than 70 in the crowd watching the National Championship Air Races in Reno.

Leeward was also blamed by the NTSB for failing to fully document and test the many modifications to the aircraft before the crash. Mods were made to make the plane lighter and reduce drag, but flight control mods also made the plane less stable aerodynamically, making it uncontrollable.

Wikipedia has a very extensive history of this aircraft, its many names and pilots flying it-one, Skip Holm flew it as Jeannie to victory in the Gold Unlimited at Reno in its past, for example. Another pilot also had an elevator trim tab failure in this same P-51D, zooming up with a 10 g pullup, blacking out but fortunately recovering the aircraft at 9,000 feet and landing safely. Every crash of this aircraft is documented by Wikipedia, and there have been many, and bears interesting reading.

(Skip Holm went through Point Mugu's aviation physiology training and low-pressure chamber training in the late 1970's, as I recall, when I worked in the Crew Systems Branch of Flight test Division there. He was no longer a USAF pilot then, but was racing successfully in Reno. The FAA had a program where civilian pilots could use Military Aviation Physiology Training Unit facilities to qualify for high altitude flight on oxygen and experience symptoms of hypoxia in a controlled environment. Point Mugu's chamber could be taken inside to 100,000 ft. altitude, but pilots were not "ridden" that high. We also gave Olympic decathlon winner Bruce Jenner the training one year when he rode with the Blue Angels as featured airshow celebrity guest. Jenner flew a Bonanza about that time, and became an aircraft dealer).

I believe all Reno pilot's should have this physiology training, even though they race at low level.