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 opened the accident docket for the Reno Air Race crash, providing initial insights into the cause of the P-51 "Galloping Ghost" crash that killed 11.
Investigators suggest the crash was likely initiated by loose screws and fatigue in the aircraft's left trim tab.
An insecure trim tab, possibly combined with a wake encounter, likely caused flutter, leading to its separation from the aircraft before the nose-dive.
While tech inspectors noted short screws on the right trim tab, the failing left trim tab was not inspected by the crew pre-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.