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| N151G on display at the Arlington air show in front of the RFA tent |
The 'Dead Stick' - Dangerous Enough Without Strong Winds
I belong to a group of aircraft aficionados who specialize in building and flying replicas of classic military 'warbirds'. They are called the Replica Fighters Association (RFA for short) and this particular story caught my eye. In the RFA, the P-51 is a very popular aircraft to build as it's a highly agile machine, but it is also quite pricey. We would see them at the RFA gatherings on a regular basis and with the various kits available, they increase in number each year.
This particular one, called a 'Thunder Mustang' was built with a V-12, so it was also really powerful, but it also makes it more heavy - he didn't have much time to bring it in. The presence of strong winds made his situation more dicey and looks to be the reason for the aircraft's loss. We all are happy that the pilot was not included in that description.
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| a view of the aircraft's engine and forward airframe |
Keep in mind, the pilot was obviously highly skilled, but in my opinion was also lucky in several ways:
- First, the aircraft was designed and built with a weak-enough airframe to separate cleanly rather than only fold onto itself (i.e. the pilot)
- Second, it was an incredible amount of energy, however the aircraft impacted in such a way that the fuselage was able to separate in this manner
- Finally, the Crash Trucks showed up very, very quickly. He landed with a nearly-full bad of fuel; had it ignited he would have experienced, and probably died, in a pilot's worst nightmare.
(from the Reno News site - MyNews4)
Officials say mechanical difficulties and high winds were to blame for plane crash Sunday at the National Championship Air Races at the Reno Stead Airport.
The Thunder Mustang piloted by George Giboney went down during the final lap of the Super Sport Gold championship race, according to a publicist for the event.
Giboney says he heard his plane -"Rapid Travel"- misfire a couple of times, and then the engine cut out and stopped completely. He called a "mayday," and when he attempted to land he hit the runway and bounced. That's when a wind gust took the plane off course and into the dirt, the plane then hit a bump and shot up into the air. The plane began to cartwheel and the plane came almost completely apart as it tumbled.
Giboney got out of the plane without help and, was attended to by onsite emergency personnel, that examined him at the Reno Air Race medical facility. He was released shortly thereafter. He suffered cuts on his arms and legs.
"Our pilots are the best in the world and are trained to handle all matters of conditions and situations," said Mike Houghton, president and CEO of the National Championship Air Races. "George did an incredible job landing and maintaining control of the plane throughout the accident. We are relieved that he is safe and uninjured and proud of the level of skill and professionalism he displayed today.
"The safety of our pilots, fans and volunteers is our number one priority and while incidents like today are uncommon, they reinforce the effectiveness of the countless safety measures we have implemented. Today was a testament to the skill of the pilot, durability of the plane and the immediate responsiveness of our staff and emergency personnel."
The Thunder Mustang piloted by George Giboney went down during the final lap of the Super Sport Gold championship race, according to a publicist for the event.
Giboney says he heard his plane -"Rapid Travel"- misfire a couple of times, and then the engine cut out and stopped completely. He called a "mayday," and when he attempted to land he hit the runway and bounced. That's when a wind gust took the plane off course and into the dirt, the plane then hit a bump and shot up into the air. The plane began to cartwheel and the plane came almost completely apart as it tumbled.
Giboney got out of the plane without help and, was attended to by onsite emergency personnel, that examined him at the Reno Air Race medical facility. He was released shortly thereafter. He suffered cuts on his arms and legs.
"Our pilots are the best in the world and are trained to handle all matters of conditions and situations," said Mike Houghton, president and CEO of the National Championship Air Races. "George did an incredible job landing and maintaining control of the plane throughout the accident. We are relieved that he is safe and uninjured and proud of the level of skill and professionalism he displayed today.
"The safety of our pilots, fans and volunteers is our number one priority and while incidents like today are uncommon, they reinforce the effectiveness of the countless safety measures we have implemented. Today was a testament to the skill of the pilot, durability of the plane and the immediate responsiveness of our staff and emergency personnel."
There were several mishaps this year, requiring emergency landings, and most of them were relatively uneventful. However, the last one was heart-stopping. Thankfully (and amazingly) the pilot came out of it without any serious injuries. Here, from a variety of sources are some photos. Since they are from a variety of sources, they are not in exact sequential order.
First, this Thunder Mustang had its engine stop. A Thunder Mustang is a custom-built replica of the P-51 and is about 2/3 the size of the real deal. This one had a V-12 engine, and was no slouch in the speed department. It was built entirely of carbon fiber. We knew that this pilot was in trouble when he attempted a landing on the original runway in lieu of two emergency strips.
The plane touched down short of a complete turn onto the intended runway and hit the short taxiway between the two runways, heading straight for a group of planes parked on another taxiway and including Canada's Snowbirds.
He hit a high spot on the grass, and the extreme crosswind (right to left) brought him airborne again and caused a cartwheel.
The right wing tip touched the ground, starting the cartwheel.
Note below the apparent fuel escaping from the left wing tank.
Below the engine and cowling break off as the cartwheel continues.
From other unknown sources, here are some additional photos of the mishap.
Notice the pilot in the below shot. He's now in the very front of the plane with nothing in front of him but his seatbelt (you can see his shoes).
The crash trucks got to the wreckage almost before the dust settled.
From the website Aviation Safety Network:
| Date: | 19-SEP-2010 |
| Time: | ca 16:00 |
| Type: | Papa 51 Thunder Mustang |
| Operator: | (George Giboney) |
| Registration: | N151G |
| C/n / msn: | FITM024 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Reno, NV -  United States of America |
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | |
| Departure airport: | |
| Reno, NV |
Narrative:
Crashed on landing during Reno Air Races.
Aircraft had just departed, pilot described, "Sonething broke in the engine", he immediately climbed to 2000 feet, engine quit, he dead sticked the aircraft, bounced, hit a wing, and cartwheeled.
Pilot was uninjured and his biggest complaint - he lost his glasses!!
Crashed on landing during Reno Air Races.
Aircraft had just departed, pilot described, "Sonething broke in the engine", he immediately climbed to 2000 feet, engine quit, he dead sticked the aircraft, bounced, hit a wing, and cartwheeled.
Pilot was uninjured and his biggest complaint - he lost his glasses!!
It is said that a good landing is one that the pilot walks away from, a great one is where the plane is also reusable again. Bravo Zulu Mr. Giboney - a good landing!
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