Reno Nevada Air Show Crash

[Urbane Guerrilla]

The falling aircraft showed signs of some major system or mechanical failure. The tailwheel was at full or nearly full extension just before it hit, with the main gear not extended at all, and that is weird. That a/c has and needs a retractable tailwheel -- especially to compete in Unlimited class air racing. It wouldn't just have been hanging out there being draggy. Some think the machine lost a trim tab, but I can't see merely losing such an adjuster causing what happened, as the rest of the controls would remain powerfully in effect, keeping the aircraft flying instead of the pitch-up and fatal dive that occurred.

They'll also be closely looking into the pilot's mandatory physical and such -- though we're only going to find something explanatory in that if we're lucky.

Meanwhile, I guess we pray for the victims.