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 air race crash suggests that loose screws and fatigue in the P-51 *Galloping Ghost*'s trim tab were the likely initial trigger.
Investigators believe the insecure trim tab, possibly combined with a wake encounter, led to flutter, causing it to separate from the aircraft and resulting in the fatal nose-dive.
A critical finding is that while crew addressed a screw issue on one trim tab, the failing trim tab on the opposite side was not inspected prior to the race.

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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.