OMG

[tim]

Re: OMG

RB51,

Nice pictures. The scariest one of the bunch has to be the one where the aircraft is moving backwards and there is a a plume of what looks like fuel above the left wing a head of the dust cloud. Very glad it didn't ignite.

[Inverted]

Re: OMG

I have no doubt the FAA may have been involved. But everyone on this site who is a Pilot know's how dangerous it would have been in the event of an emergency. RARA, in conjunction with the Unlimited Gold racers I am sure came to the final decision. The problem wasn't the gusting wind so much as it only allowed one runway in the event of an engine failure or other type of emergency. I am not a reno racer so I have no idea what the rulebook states on a designated emergency runway during a race. But the only runway I would have used is the one George tried to make. And that put him dangerously slow moving with the flow of race traffic, then directly head on the flow of race traffic when he made his base to final turn.

I have seen a lot of crazy things at Reno, but that was one of the most dangerous situations I have seen. I don't think George was in the wrong because thats what every pilot's training tells them to do. My point is, seeing that situation unfold, really showed that the winds the way they were, only allowed a safe emergency landing on runway 26. And we all know how often emergency's happen with the Unlimited Gold. There is no reason to significantly increase the danger of the race by allowing it to continue under those weather conditions.

[Alpine]

Re: OMG

I'll add my congratulations on an OUTSTANDING photographic documentation of the accident!

I notice that you considered deleting the pics you got due to the possibility that a fatality might have been recorded. May I suggest that what you recorded, however graphic it might have turned out to have been, has VERY important value as evidence in an accident investigation. Captures such as yours are rare and extremely important to those who try to figure out what went wrong because they show how reality unfolded.

To anyone capturing an accident in such detail, please understand that even if you do not wish to view the images yourself, turning your card over to authorities for download would be the right thing to do in furtherance of the investigation. Please DO NOT destroy images that can contribute to the best possible understanding of what has occurred, even if tragic.

Again, outstanding work Alpine! You've done well!


TZW

Its just a bad feeling taking and having pics if someone is seriously hurt. Deffinetly see the value if they were required for an investigation. Good info in your post. thanks

[Leo]

Re: OMG

I agree INVERTED, for what little it matters. I've seen races in worse wind conditions, it just seemed the direction restricted the useable runways. When George pulled up I thought he had it made easy. My son asked a little later if he was on the ground yet, at that moment he appeared directly ahead on downwind and my comment was "he's going to be way short". I had never seen a pattern that low. When he turned base early it was obvious it would be tight and he was trying to save what he could. Into that headwind trying to stretch it out was just not possible. It would be for George to say whether he just ran out of speed or air or both to put him into that area, and how bad his failure was (drag from the prop, etc.). I imagine there was not anything left to complete that turn without stalling it in. NOT armchairing! I hope he tells us his story so we can learn.
If an unlimited was faced with that condition, an engine failure and a long way across that valley to the best runway he would have to try or compromise and it wcould turn out nasty.
BTW the morning news here was making a big deal about his cutting across the course and causing the racing planes to avoid him. i saw one cut the No.1 pylon with a slight course change but nothing as unsafe as they described. I saw no near disaster. Did I miss something or are they being typically sensational?

[Gary Osif]

Re: OMG

...probably why I don't watch the news a lot!

Geeeez! Sensationalism sells the story once again!

[Inverted]

Re: OMG

Well when he was turning base to final I saw the white Lancair pass by. I couldn't tell by his track whether he took action to avoid George. In fact I had no idea he cut a pylon as I was focused more on George. I would imagine it is very hard to predict what an aircraft is going to do in an emergency, so it must be hard to assume the other racers even saw him. The closure rate is pretty high too. Thats when it really jumped out at me that this situation was unique, yet very very dangerous. I think the news media is exaggerating about him cutting across the course and planes avoiding him.

[Leo]

Re: OMG

I am sure they are. I don't remember which plane it was but to me he just kind of turned a little tighter into the course when Gearge was crossing the course on base. From our angle (on the ramp about the middle of general admission) it looked like he either slightly cut or overflew 2. But it could have been the angle, and he did not alter course severely at all.
The morning news just talked of other racers "barely avoiding disaster" and showed a short clip of him and the other plane "crossing paths". From their angle it looked close but from ours it seemed a non-event.
Since this was such a unique situaution it would be interesting to hear what the participants have to say.
The office talk this morning is all about what they saw on the news and how dangerous it all is, thanks to those reports.

[Dash]

Re: OMG

There's a good video on KOLO. http://www.kolotv.com/news/headlines/103177709.html I think this shows that he made the runway, but with a massive crosswind and weathervanes into the wind. Even that may have been ok, but he hits a berm and sends him back airborne. Reminds me of a rodeo clown I once knew who got hit hard (while saving a cowboy). Thought he was paralyzed because he couldn't feel his feet. Turned out the bull upercut him while standing on his shoe and ripped the soles off. Glad it turned out as well as it did for George. I don't understand why the didn't cancel the sports race after the T6. Go back and look at the YouTube test flights. He gets pretty squirrely on takeoff. I imagine this is a tough plane to handle in a strong x-wind. He also has the turtleneck which means even greater tendency to weathervanes. My .02 worth.

[flyride]

Re: OMG

BTW the morning news here was making a big deal about his cutting across the course and causing the racing planes to avoid him. i saw one cut the No.1 pylon with a slight course change but nothing as unsafe as they described. I saw no near disaster. Did I miss something or are they being typically sensational?

Race Control called 75's position out to the white Lancair that was rounding pylon 8 and it looked to me like he widened out a little to make sure that there was clearance. I didn't hear any other traffic conversation.

[Sky Critter]

Re: OMG

Race control called out Georges position and the Lancair acknowledge. I was in section I and it didn't appear to be a factor. The news folks should talk with those in the know before running a story like this.

[bill_f]

Re: OMG

Different video angle, better reporting on KRNV:

http://www.mynews4.com/story.php?id=28134

[daveflyshi]

Re: OMG

I captured this landing and then extra runway event from the stands. I went to see one of our own at the American Air Racing hangar and offered the pics if they were needed or wanted. I was then asked to show them to George. Less than two hours after the crash, and I think the first look at exactly what had happened. It was surprising to me showing my pics on my camera the reaction he had based on what he thought he remembered. I will be sending him a copy of the entire final sequence. I will state this....I am a commercial pilot(so no second guessing what I am looking at)....I can see definitely that George was fighting as hard as he could against the wind. In the end, Mother Nature was stronger than Rapid Travel. I need to evaluate the pictures(think about what more they could add to what has already been published) and part of me wants his permission(I own the pics and do not require his permission, but it was a pretty scary event) before I publish them. Thanks WP for the intro!

dave

[gp70442]

Re: OMG

I'll toss in my .02...........

From where I was in the stands he looked to be out of options about halfway on the downwind leg. He sure wasn't going to make 14 and I knew he didn't have enough altitude for 26 so I was worried where it was all headed. He did make the the tarmac of 26 but was never lined up. He had to cut the turn short and point it into the wind and land. What his plans were is unknown but as he states in the video he did the best he could do at the time. I believe he did. Coming across 26 at what appeared to be a 45 angle, things got ugly in a hurry. In retrospect I suppose his cartwheel kept it from becoming really ugly. I agree with a previous poster in that it was one of the scariest maydays in a long time.

I also was able to see Blue II in his troubles. He seemed to keep the tail up for a long time. Then a cloud of dust and the airplane facing the opposite direction and a fire truck headed that way. Also glad to hear that wasn't any worse.

Many thanks to John and George for putting on a great show. Those little airplanes are coming into their own. Friday's race showed us some of what they are capable of. (at the expense of a head gasket plus more)

GP
Houston.

[Danno]

Re: OMG

Here are a few picts from a little different angle. We were in section 2.

Glad George walked away!

Danno

[BKB]

Re: OMG

That is the luckiset man alive today. What a sequence of photos.Thanks for sharing.
One might ask how he survived.......................................... ...........
The only awnser is it was not his time............................................