2011 — Sep 16, National Championship Air Race Crash, Grandstand, Reno, NV– 11

lornajarrettblanchard September 16, 2011

— 11 Fresno Bee, CA. “10 dead in Nev. Air crash shared love of aviation.” Sep 18, 2011.

— 11 NTSB. “Board Meeting: Airplane Crash – National Championship Air…” 8-27-2012.[1]

— 11 NTSB. Preliminary report, NTSB Id. WPR11MA454. Sep 16, 2001, Reno, NV. 9-23-2011

— 11 NTSB Press Release. “Deteriorated Parts Allowed Flutter…Led to Fatal Crash…” 8-27-2012.

— 10 Baugher. 1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910). 10-15-2011 rev.

— 10 CSMonitor. “Reno air crash: Will tragedy at air race sour public on air shows?” 9-19-2011

— 10 CNN. “Nevada air show death toll rises to 10.” Sep 19, 2011.

— 10 Fox News. “Death toll in Nevada air show accident rises to 10.” Sep 20, 2011.

— 10 New York Times. “Air Race Fans, Despite Crash Remain Steadfast.” 9-19-2011.

Narrative Information

Baugher: “North American P-51D-15-NA Mustang….15651 to civil registry as NX79111 in 1946 with the name *The Galloping Ghost*, the nickname of football star Red Grange. Flew in 1946 Thompson Trophy Race. Reported in 1990 as airworthy as N79111. Rebuilt for racing in 1963 as “Miss Candace”. Damaged in crash landing at 1970 races. Rebuilt with smaller canopy and smaller belly cooling scoop. Renamed *Jeannie* in 1979. Rebuilt again. Sold in 1983 and renamed Specter. As “The Galloping Ghost” crashed into crowd at Reno air races, Sep 16, 2011. Initial reports indicate that the aircraft may have lost elevator trim tab at speed, resulting in loss of control. Pilot killed, plus 9 on the ground, plus 70 injuries.” (Baugher. 1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910). 10-15-2011 rev.)

NTSB Preliminary Report, 9-23-2011: “On September 16, 2011, about 1626 Pacific daylight time, an experimental North America P-51D, N79111, impacted terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering at Reno Stead Airport, Reno, Nevada. The airplane was registered to Aero-Trans Corp, Ocala, Florida, and operated by the pilot as Race 177 under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Casualties on the ground included 10 fatalities and 74 injured. As of the time of this preliminary report, eight of the injured remain hospitalized, some in critical condition. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed for the local air race flight, which departed from Reno Stead Airport about 10 minutes before the accident.

“The airplane was participating in the Reno National Championship Air Races in the last event of the day. The airplane had completed several laps and was in a steep left turn towards the home pylon when, according to photographic evidence, the airplane suddenly banked momentarily to the left before banking to the right, turning away from the race course, and pitching to a steep nose-high attitude. Witnesses reported and photographic evidence indicates that a piece of the airframe separated during these maneuvers. After roll and pitch variations, the airplane descended in an extremely nose-low attitude and collided with the ground in the box seat area near the center of the grandstand seating area.

“Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration examined the wreckage on site. They documented the debris field and identified various components of the airplane’s control system and control surfaces. The wreckage was removed to a secure storage facility for detailed examination at a later date.

“The airplane’s ground crew noted that the airplane had a telemetry system that broadcast data to a ground station as well as recorded it to a box on board the airplane. The crew provided the ground station telemetry data, which includes engine parameters and global positioning satellite system data to the NTSB for analysis. The onboard data box, which sustained crush damage, was sent to the NTSB’s Vehicle Recorder laboratory for examination. Investigators recovered pieces of a camera housing and multiple detached memory cards from the airplane’s onboard camera that were in the debris field. The memory cards and numerous still and video image recordings were also sent to the Vehicle Recorders laboratory for evaluation.” (NTSB. Preliminary report, NTSB Id. WPR11MA454. Sep 16, 2001, Reno, NV. 9-23-2011.)

NTSB Board Meeting, 8-27-2012: “….Last September, the pilot of a highly modified P-51D airplane, “The Galloping Ghost,” competing in the Unlimited Division Gold Heat Race, experienced an upset while turning between pylons 8 and 9. The airplane crashed into the box seating area killing the pilot and 10 spectators. More than 60 other people suffered injuries, ranging from minor to critical….

“While we have investigated 22 accidents associated with the Air Races over the last 30 years, this was unlike the prior investigations because it affected spectators as well as a race participant. But it also underscores the importance of learning from loss so we can make recommendations to improve safety, not just for those who race but also for the fans of the sport.

“Knowing that the air races are an annual event, our investigators worked hard to develop recommendations in advance of the 2012 races, which are scheduled to begin in just over two weeks. We also wanted to be open and transparent with the public about our findings. That’s why we held a hearing in January to examine issues related to air race and air show safety and why we issued ten safety recommendations in April. The recommendations addressed the pilot, the aircraft and the racing environment.

“Over the last year we have engaged with the recipients of our recommendations: the Reno Air Racing Association, the National Air-racing Group Unlimited Division and the Federal Aviation Administration. The good news is that progress has been made, and today you will hear about the implementation of many of those recommendations.

“This investigation and our safety recommendations are, in effect, in a class of their own since air racing is more of a sporting event than a transportation endeavor. As we saw at the recent Summer Olympics, sport involves people pushing their individual performance limits. And that is what the pilots do at the National Championship Air Races, especially in the Unlimited Division. They push their individual performance limits as well as their airplane’s performance limits to win the competition and set records. The pilots know they are taking risks; that is what they sign up for. But, air race pilots expect that the risks taken are theirs alone. This accident forced everyone to re-evaluate that expectation.

“For the fans attending races and other sporting events, they are attracted to the thrill of watching competitors push their limits and take risks. Spectators attend these events expecting to be out of harm’s way. But, the risk is there. Flying debris from race cars has killed spectators, as have baseballs, hockey pucks and more. While these accidents are infrequent, when they happen, the results are tragic. In response, changes are made and additional precautions are taken….” (National Transportation Safety Board. “Board Meeting: Airplane Crash–National Championship Air Races Reno-Stead Airport, NV, Washington, DC – Chairman’s Opening Remarks [Deborah A. P. Hersman].” Washington, DC: NTSB, 8-27-2012.)

NTSB Press Release, 8-27-2012: “Washington — The National Transportation Safety Board determined today that deteriorated locknut inserts found in the highly modified North American P-51D airplane that crashed during the 2011 National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, allowed the trim tab attachment screws to become loose, and even initiated fatigue cracking in one screw. This condition, which resulted in reduced stiffness in the elevator trim system, ultimately led to aerodynamic flutter at racing speed that broke the trim tab linkages, resulting in a loss of controllability and the eventual crash.

“On September 16, 2011, as the experimental single-seat P-51D airplane “The Galloping Ghost,” traveling about 445 knots, or 512 mph, in the third lap of the six-lap race, passed pylon 8, it experienced a left-roll upset and high-G pitch up. During the upset sequence, the airplane’s vertical acceleration peaked at 17.3 G, causing incapacitation of the pilot. Seconds later, a section of the left elevator trim tab separated in flight. The airplane descended and impacted the ramp in the spectator box seating area, killing the pilot and 10 spectators and injuring more than 60 others.

“”In Reno, the fine line between observing risk and being impacted by the consequences when something goes wrong was crossed,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman. “The pilots understood the risks they assumed; the spectators assumed their safety had been assessed and addressed.”

“Contributing to the accident were the undocumented and untested major modifications made to the airplane, as well as the pilot’s operation of the airplane in the unique air racing environment without adequate flight testing. The nearly 70-year-old airplane had undergone numerous undocumented modifications. The modifications, designed to increase speed, included shortening of the wings, installation of a boil-off cooling system for the engine, increasing the elevator counterweights, modification of the pitch trim system, and changing the incidence of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers.

“Although the Federal Aviation Administration required that a flight standards district office be notified in writing of any major changes made to The Galloping Ghost before it could be flown, investigators could find no records that such notifications were made except for the installation of the boil-off cooling system. The undocumented major modifications were identified through wreckage examinations, photographic evidence, and interviews with ground crewmembers.

“In April, while the investigation was ongoing and after the NTSB’s investigative hearing in January on air race and air show safety, the NTSB issued 10 safety recommendations to the Reno Air Racing Association, the National Air racing Group Unlimited Division, and the FAA. These recommendations addressed:

requiring engineering evaluations for aircraft with major modifications;
raising the level of safety for spectators and personnel near the race course;
improving FAA guidance for air race and course design;
providing race pilots with high-G training and evaluating the feasibility of G-suit requirements for race pilots; and
tracking the resolution of race aircraft discrepancies identified during prerace technical inspections.

“Although no additional safety recommendations were issued today, the Board reclassified nine existing recommendations as described below:

Eligibility Requirements for Aircraft with Major Modifications – recommendations A 12 9 and A-12-13 classified “Open—Acceptable Response”

Prerace Technical Inspection Discrepancy Tracking – recommendation A 12 10, classified “Closed—Acceptable Action”

Spectator Safety – recommendations A 12 14 and 15, classified “Closed—Acceptable Action”

High G Training, G-Suit Feasibility for Pilots – recommendations A 12 11, -12, -16, and -17, classified “Closed—Acceptable Action”

“A tenth safety recommendation, issued to the FAA, which addressed air race and course design guidance was reclassified as “Open—Acceptable Response” on July 25, 2012.

“A synopsis of the NTSB report, including the probable cause and a complete list of the reclassified safety recommendations, is available here: http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/2012_Reno_NV_BMG.aspx

(NTSB Press Release. “Deteriorated Parts Allowed Flutter Which Led to Fatal Crash at 2011 Reno Air Races.” Washington, DC: NTSB, 8-27-2012.)

Media:

Christian Science Monitor, Sep 18: “Although it will be months before official investigations are completed, one likely cause has emerged from initial data gathered about Friday’s crash at the Reno Air Races. Photos indicate a missing part from the control surface that maneuvers the nose of an aircraft up and down. That’s the “trim tab,” a critical part of the “elevator” on an aircraft’s tail. Witnesses said they saw a part fall from Jimmy Leeward’s P-51 Mustang seconds before it pitched up then straight down into the spectator area… A photo posted by KOLO-TV, the ABC affiliate in Reno, shows the trim tab dangling from the left elevator as the aircraft rolled inverted just before plunging to the ground. Another photo by Tim O’Brien of the Grass Valley Union shows the P-51 upside down with the trim tab missing. “Without the trim tab, the aircraft may have been uncontrollable,” writes Mike Danko on his Aviation Law Monitor blog….

“Before the most recent accident, there had been 19 deaths due to crashes and collisions at Reno, but none had involved spectators. The high number of casualties Friday has prompted race officials, federal aviation regulators, and others to question whether such events can continue. The Reno Air Races, an annual event that began in 1964, draw tens of thousands of spectators and visitors, generating some $80 million for the local economy.

“No one ever claimed it’s safe to race vintage airplanes at speeds reaching 500 mph,” the Reno Gazette-Journal editorialized Saturday. “But it’s not too early to point to the lessons learned.”

“First and foremost, spectators must be better protected and educated about the dangers of air racing. Any discussion about future races should begin with ways to minimize the risk that wayward planes – an inevitable and accepted part of air racing – end up in the grandstands,” the editorial continued. “Schools should suspend all field trips to the air races. Race officials must review the steps they take to clear the planes – and pilots – fit for racing. (And no one should be criticized for wondering if the pilot’s age, 74, contributed to the crash.) And finally, when the time comes to decide whether to continue the races, economic impact should be the last thing anyone worries about…. If ending the air races is ultimately the right thing to do, we must have the courage to do so’.” (Christian Science Monitor. “As Reno rethinks air races, possible cause of crash is seen.” Sep 18, 2011.)

Fresno Bee, Sep 18: “Reno, Nev. — They came from every corner to the Nevada desert to watch the nation’s premier air race, a daring competition between speed-hungry pilots that pushed the limits of safety. They all had one thing in common: a deep affection for aviation. One was a wheelchair-bound recent college graduate who was thrilled to be at the races. Another was a former airline pilot who owned a vintage airplane. Still another was at his first race, attending it at the urging of his father and brother.

“They were among the 10 people who died when one of the planes in the race, a WWII-era P-51 Mustang fighter plane called The Galloping Ghost, plunged into the VIP section. The 74-year-old stunt pilot also died in the nation’s deadliest air racing disaster. The shrapnel from the crash sprayed the crowd, leaving dozens more with severed limbs, including fingers, legs and arms….

“The National Championship Air Races draw thousands of people to Reno every September to watch various military and civilian planes race. Local schools often held field trips there, and a local sports book took wagers on the outcomes.

“During the races, planes flew wingtip-to-wingtip as low as 50 feet (15 meters) off the ground. The competitors follow an oval path around pylons, with distances and speeds depending on the class of aircraft. Pilots reached speeds of up to 500 mph.

“The pilot, James Leeward, was the 20th pilot to die at the races since it began 47 years ago, but Friday’s crash was the first where spectators were killed. Some of the injured described being coated in aviation fuel that burned.

“Leeward and his team had modified the plane beyond recognition, taking a full 10 feet off the wingspan and cutting the ailerons – the back edges of the main wings used to control balance – by roughly 28 inches.

“Leeward was a veteran air racer from Ocala, Fla., who flew in Hollywood films. His father worked in aviation and taught him the trade. He was married with two adult sons. Leeward loved speeding, on the ground or in the air, and had recently taken up racing cars….

“Among the others killed were Sharon Stewart, 47, of Reno; Greg Morcom, 47, of Marysville, Wash.; George Hewitt, 60, and Wendy Hewitt, 57, both of Fort Mohave, Ariz.; Michael Wogan, 22, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Regina Bynum, 53, of San Angelo, Texas.” (Fresno Bee, CA. “10 dead in Nev. Air crash shared love of aviation.” Sep 18, 2011.)

CBS News, Sep 19: “….two crashes over the weekend – one at an air race in Reno, Nev. and the other at an air show in West Virginia, left both pilots and nine spectators dead, and dozens of others injured… They also left some people asking whether the air races have become too dangerous… “The objective, really, is to go as fast as possibly just as in any type of race,” points out CBS News aviation safety expert Mark Rosenker, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. “The problem is, when you begin to go as fast as possible, you really do reach the edge of the safety envelope.” (CBS News. “Air race safety questioned after Reno crash.” 9-19-2011.)

Christian Science Monitor, Sep 19: “The crash of a World War II-era plane last Friday that killed 10 people and injured dozens more at the Reno Air Races in Nevada will undoubtedly lead to a review of safety regulations and may give longstanding critics of the Reno event the ammunition they need to press for its cancellation.….air show officials are expressing concerns that an anxious public not lump their industry in with the higher risk air races.

“Although both events developed as an outgrowth of barnstorming – the popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would captivate small towns by landing in corn fields and then create live shows on the spot – air racing and air shows are very different and should be understood as such, says John Cudahy, president of the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS). “Both became wildly popular before World War II but the air race business has shrunk – the Reno event is the only unlimited class (i.e. vintage planes) air race event in the US, he says – while air shows continue to grow.

“Air racing involves competition between pilots racing vintage airplanes up to 500 mph, whereas air shows are choreographed entertainment in which the same stunts – barrel rolls, inverted loops, wing walking etc. – are repeated performance after performance.

“While the Reno Gazette has editorialized that spectators need to be better educated about the risks of air racing, Mr. Cudahy says the safety rules for air shows have been a top priority since the formation of his group in 1964. Although both have evolved over the years, he says air shows have very specific rules governing how close the planes can fly to spectators. Cudahy cautioned against reaching any conclusions about the Reno tragedy until officials have completed their investigations. He said the safety record of air shows was a perfect, zero deaths in 2008, 2009, and 2010 before this year’s string of six deaths – three pilots and three wing walkers….

“Regarding the P-51 Mustang aircraft that crashed into the spectator area in Reno, Cudahy says air show rules would have completely avoided such a mishap because of a number of restrictions, among them:

Air craft are not allowed to point toward crowds, “so in the event of a slipup, aircraft won’t plunge into spectators.

Air shows have setbacks ranging from 500 ft. for smaller propeller planes to 1,500 ft. for jets and include an “invisible box” – no fly zone – as long as 2 miles long, half mile wide and 12,000 ft. high above grandstands.

Those who fly acrobatically must be evaluated by both the ICAS and the FAA at least once every year….

“Fred George, senior editor at Aviation Week, says the investigations of this crash may eventually lead to cancellation of the Reno event, or at least a move to less populated areas. Another modification could include placing the grandstands in the center of the race track rather than where they were Friday coming out of the race’s most dangerous and final curve, so that when a plane goes out of control, centrifugal force carries it outward and away from, rather than into, the spectators. “There are a lot of people who have been trying to get rid of this event for years. They will be trying to seize this as their opportunity to get that done,” he says.

“Short of that, the venue could be placed further out in the desert, perhaps closer to Black Rock where the “Burning Man” festival is held.

“Mr. George says inspection procedures are likely to get an overhaul as well. “It’s one thing to quickly inspect the fuselage and wings, but quite another to really examine the moving parts that control the plane,” George says. “That takes more time and focus. These planes are modified so much that pilots are pretty much test pilots on every flight.” (Christian Science Monitor. “Reno air crash: Will tragedy…sour public…shows?” 9-19-2011)

CNN, Sep 19: “The death toll from a crash at an air race at Reno, Nevada, has risen to 10, one of the hospitals treating patients from Friday’s accident said Monday. Close to 70 people were injured in the incident, which occurred Friday.

“National Transportation Safety Board member Mark Rosekind said investigators are looking at whether the plane’s apparently damaged elevator trim tab – whose breaking apart was captured in a photograph – played a role in the nosedive crash. Authorities do not know why the aircraft went down. A full investigation could take six to nine months, Rosekind said….At the time of the crash, three NTSB investigators happened to be at the air show – a common practice – and one of them has been appointed investigator in charge, Rosekind said.” (CNN. “Nevada air show death toll rises to 10.” Sep 19, 2011.)

MSNBC, Sep 19: “Reno, Nev. The World War II-era plane that plummeted into an air-race crowd like a missile bore little resemblance to its original self. It was rebuilt for speed, if not for stability. The 65-year-old “Galloping Ghost” underwent years of massive overhauls that took a full 10 feet off its wingspan. The ailerons — the back edges of the main wings used to control balance — were cut from about 60 inches to 32….

“Leeward’s own website alludes to the dangers — and bragging rights. “These guys are always on the edge knowing one wrong move, in one split second, could mean the end,” the Leeward Air Ranch Racing Team website says. “NASCAR at 200 mph? Indy at 230 mph? Top Fuel at 300 mph? Mere Childs play. Welcome to the Big League.”

“Leeward had said the plane underwent several years of modifications before Friday’s race, including lopping five feet off each wing, but he hadn’t revealed many of the specifics. In the podcast, he called some of the changes “extremely radical,” compared some to systems on the space shuttle and explained that he had increased the plane’s speed capabilities to be more like those of a modern fighter jet. “To control the airplane in the wind, and in different circumstances if anything happens, you need those types of speeds. You need jet speeds,” he said.

“Leeward was rounding a bend at dizzying speeds Friday when his plane took an oddly upward pitch, narrowly missing the packed grandstand. It then twirled just a few hundred feet off the ground and nose-dived into a section of VIP box seats, blasting out a 3-foot-deep, 8-foot-wide crater in a hail of metal, chairs and body parts….

….Officials said 69 people were treated at hospitals, including 36 who have been released.

“FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said officials thoroughly vet all aircraft modifications before the planes are allowed to race. Reno Air Race Association technical experts also examine them to ensure they are air-worthy.

“Pilot Ray Sherwood of Placerville, Calif., who raced at Reno from 1986 to 2005, said he’s convinced that the crash was caused by modifications leading the trim tab to snap off. He said the same problem caused a modified P-51 Mustang to plunge into a neighborhood during the races in 1999, killing veteran pilot Gary Levitz….

“Aircraft experts said losing the part could have forced Leeward to yank the plane up too fast, possibly overcorrecting and stalling, meaning the engines would be running but air breaks up over the wings, causing it to lose lift. He probably would have been able to pull out of it safely if he hadn’t been at low altitude, they said. “Assuming the aircraft had no other problems, and assuming the pilot had no problems, if he had enough altitude, you can easily get out of that no big deal … Matter of fact, the P-51 was designed for that,” said Ken Liano, a structural engineer and aircraft consultant. “But that’s one of the problems with low-altitude flying: There’s no time to correct.”

“Pilots modify their old P-51s to compete, but the alterations put additional stress on the aircraft, Sherwood said. “If they are going to go as fast as they can, they have to modify the plane,” he said. Pilots were competing for a total of about $1 million in prize money, but Sherwood said the sport is really about the thrill. He said a P-51 like Leeward’s would cost about $2.5 million. “You can’t make any money racing airplanes. It’s too expensive to buy and maintain them,” Sherwood said. “You do it for the love of the sport.”

“Leeward, 74, was a veteran racer who flew in more than 120 events and served as a Hollywood stunt pilot for movies including “Amelia” and “The Tuskegee Airmen.” He has been described as a passionate pilot, a stickler for safety and an aggressive competitor. In the June podcast, he chided a competitor to come take him on. “I’ve got a standing $10,000 offer … if he would come back, get in the airplane and fly it in the race. I’ll pay him $10,000 cash on the table before he takes off just to get him in that race because when I beat that airplane, I want him in that seat,” Leeward said.

“Leeward’s plane had a minor crash at the air races almost exactly 41 years ago. According to two websites that track P-51s that are still flying, it made a belly landing away from the Reno airport. The NTSB report on the Sept. 18, 1970, incident says the engine failed and the plane crash-landed short of the runway.

“The future of the races is unclear. Joraanstad, the injured spectator, said he doesn’t want to see the races end “but when you see people go through that much pain and people die, I don’t know if it’s worth it. “It’s just kind of that last edge — frontier of flying — where there’s no limits, really, with the amount of power you can put in your plane,” he added. “It’s kind of the ultimate rush just to even watch these guys do what they do”.” (MSNBC (AP). “Plane in Reno crash had ‘radical changes to compete.” 9-19-2011)

Fox News, Sep 20: “Washington — The death toll in last week’s air show accident in Reno, Nevada, rose to 10 after the death of another seriously injured victim, the Las Vegas Sun reported Monday. The spokeswoman at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center…informed the media that the patient who had died was a man but she refused to provide his name, age or the city of his residence.

“Last Friday, a World War II-era fighter plane crashed into a grandstand full of spectators who had come to see the National Championship Air Races and Air Show, held every September in Reno. The crash happened without warning and very quickly, giving the audience virtually no time to react before the plane plowed into the stands at high speed, killing seven people outright and injuring dozens more.

“The pilot of the P-51 Mustang, Jimmy Leeward, died on impact along with six spectators, and two other people died a few hours later at a nearby hospital.

“The accident is not the first to occur at U.S. air shows in recent years, but it is the first to involve spectators at the Reno competition, which in the 47 years since its founding has become quite well-known among air racing fans.” (Fox News. “Death toll in Nevada air show accident rises to 10.” Sep 20, 2011.)

NYT, Sep 20: “Reno, Nev. The fans come here each year looking for, even craving, the thrill they say they get only from seeing planes race at speeds of more than 400 miles per hour. At a small airport at the edge of the city, they tilt their heads skyward for hours, relishing each roar overhead.

“But the crash did not deter the fans, who came to the memorial with a steely somberness. It was a freakish accident, they said, a one-in-a-million thing. Attending these races is dangerous, sure, they said, but so is driving. What should change? For the most part, they replied, absolutely nothing….

“Each year some 200,000 people attend the event, in which planes race around an eight-mile course. With a combination of air acrobatics and high speeds, the race is far more adrenaline pumping than air shows and car races. Many of the most ardent fans are pilots themselves, who know well the dangers. “You are open to a certain kind of experience if you come here,” said Ross Kallenberger, a private pilot in Bakersfield, Calif., who saw the crash. He motioned to the vintage planes taking off at that moment. “Can you feel them? How often do you come to an event that you can actually physically feel through your body? There’s nothing like it.”….

“Ike Shim, 63, traveled from Tokyo for the last seven years to watch the race. The way he sees it, changing the race would be akin to a philosophical defeat. ‘Any kind of endeavor that is about human progress is going to have some risk,’ Mr. Shim said. ‘That’s how we move forward and advance. If we stop taking risks, we stop living’.” (NYT. “Air Race Fans, Despite Crash Remain Steadfast.” 9-20-2011, p. 20.)

Sources

Baugher, Joseph F. 1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910). Oct 15, 2011 revision. Accessed 12-21-2011 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_1.html

CBS News. “Air race safety questioned after Reno crash.” 9-19-2011. Accessed 9-20-2011 at: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/19/earlyshow/main20108143.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Christian Science Monitor. “As Reno rethinks air races, possible cause of crash is seen.” 9-18-2011. At: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0918/As-Reno-rethinks-air-races-possible-cause-of-crash-is-seen

Christian Science Monitor. “Reno air crash: Will tragedy at air race sour public on air shows?” 9-19-2011. Accessed 9-20-2011 at: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0919/Reno-air-crash-Will-tragedy-at-air-race-sour-public-on-air-shows

CNN. “Nevada air show death toll rises to 10.” 9-19-2011. Accessed 9-20-2011 at: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/19/nevada-air-show-death-toll-rises-to-10/

Fox News. “Death toll in Nevada air show accident rises to 10.” Sep 20, 2011. 9-20-2011 at: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2011/09/20/death-toll-in-nevada-air-show-accident-rises-to-10/

Fresno Bee, CA. “10 dead in Nev. Air crash shared love of aviation.” Sep 18, 2011. Accessed 9-20-2011 at: http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/09/18/2543869/plane-in-nv-crash-had-radical.html

MSNBC (AP). “Plane in Reno crash had ‘radical changes to compete.” 9-19-2011. Accessed at: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44569068/ns/today-today_news/t/plane-reno-crash-had-radical-changes-compete/

National Transportation Safety Board. “Board Meeting: Airplane Crash–National Championship Air Races Reno-Stead Airport, NV, Washington, DC – Chairman’s Opening Remarks [Deborah A. P. Hersman].” Washington, DC: NTSB, 8-27-2012. Accessed 6-5-2015 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/news/speeches/DHersman/Pages/Board_Meeting_Airplane_Crash_-_National_Championship_Air_Races_Reno-Stead_Airport_NV_Washington_DC_-_Chairmans_Opening_Rem.aspx

National Transportation Safety Board. Preliminary report, NTSB Id. WPR11MA454. Sep 16, 2001, Reno, NV. 9-23-2011. At: http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20110917X22412&key=1

National Transportation Safety Board. Press Release. “Deteriorated Parts Allowed Flutter Which Led to Fatal Crash at 2011 Reno Air Races.” Washington, DC: NTSB, 8-27-2012. Accessed 6-5-2015 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20120827.aspx

New York Times. “Air Race Fans, Despite Crash Remain Steadfast.” 9-19-2011. Accessed at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/us/death-toll-in-air-race-crash-rises.html

[1] Ten bystanders and the pilot.