http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/09/16/nevada.plane.crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

  Rob  Woods

  One of the most horrible things I was ever unfortunate
  enough to witness. The P51, traveling around 500 MPH,
  pulled
  up and did a high speed split S vertically into the ground
  just in front of the box seats.

  Our man Dave Leonard who happens to be a doctor
  immediately
  volunteered to help.

  His assigned, badly mutilated, patent died in the hospital
  right
  after they arrived by ambulance.

  Dave told us it was as bad as anything he had seen in
  Iraq.
  He said it looked like a grenade going off in the stands.
  Body parts all over the place.

  Paul Lamar

  Only saw one not very informative video but .... I wonder
  why so many
  people were sitting so far in front of the
  grandstand/bleachers?  Was
  there no line to keep spectators back from the flight
  line?  I have
  never been to Reno so I don't know.

  SD

  The flight path is about 1000 feet from the spectators
  and it is carefully calculated by the FAA.

  Dave thinks the pilot blacked out.

  Paul Lamar

This was from the NY Times website.

Dave, I think your right. Jimmy in not visible in this pic.
Regrettably there was only one possible outcome.
Heavy Sigh!

Erik


My condolences and prayers go out to all affected by this. Not just the people
injured, or killed and their families but also to those who were there and
witnesses. Such a horrific tragedy leaves visions that make sleep difficult
for a time. May all recover quickly however affected!

It is some what good the plane came straight down as with the speed and
weight, a lot of momentum is retained and this could have been much worse if
it had come down into the crowd at less of an angle.

Glad to hear Dave faired OK with just a failed gear box.

Dale Davies

It was not the gear box fault. Bad oil plumbing decision.

Paul Lamar