Reno Crash Docket: Questions About Trim Tab Before Accident

Bethany Whitfield

Wednesday, August 22, 2012 at 11:51 PM ET

Verified

** The highly modified P-51 Galloping Ghost
before the Reno crash last September.**

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB's accident docket for the Reno crash points to the highly modified P-51's left trim tab failure, likely caused by loose screws and fatigue, as the initial trigger.
Investigators suggest an insecure trim tab combined with a wake encounter could have resulted in flutter, leading to its separation, a motion consistent with witness video.
While short screws were noted on the right trim tab pre-race, the failing left trim tab had not been inspected by the crew.

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The NTSB this week opened the accident docket for the Reno crash that rocked the nation last September, providing the public further insight into what caused the highly modified P-51 known as Galloping Ghost to crash into a crowd of spectators at the show, killing 11 and injuring more than 60.

Among the more than 900 pages of evidence and analysis listed in the docket is a recent aircraft performance report that cites the likelihood that loose screws and fatigue in the trim tab initially triggered the crash.