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 suggests that loose screws and fatigue in the P-51 "Galloping Ghost's" left trim tab were the likely initial trigger for the deadly incident.
Investigators hypothesize that the insecure trim tab, potentially combined with a wake encounter, caused flutter, leading to its separation and the aircraft's subsequent nose-dive into spectators, a sequence captured on video.
Notably, while tech inspectors had previously noted an issue with the right trim tab's screws, the critical left trim tab that failed 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.