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Reno Air Race accident, in-cockpit video

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Thom Richard experiences engine trouble on the grid in "Hot Stuff," but due to an apparent miscommunication, the other aircraft are signaled to take off, resulting on another aircraft impacting Hot Stuff from behind. Severe aircraft damage, but only minor injuries. (www.youtube.com) More...

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justinoclemente
justin chavez 17
I would rather race at Reno than share the highway with all the distracted drivers talking on their phones, eating, arguing with their passengers all while operating vehicles that who knows when the last time they checked the tire pressure, oil, or anything else that may actually have to do with safety...
Dbelleperc
The other aircraft's camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVnRkSSN-T8
TorstenHoff
Torsten Hoff 3
Hard to watch knowing what was about to happen. Amazing that nobody was seriously injured. Definitely a wake-up call to have better, safer procedures and equipment.
jlyount
John Yount 2
I like the fireman "wandering" over cool and relaxed. Would you think a fire extinguisher (20 pounder) wouldn't be too much to handle? Next fire fighter a trauma kit? Critical seconds until you know what you really have.
PSUAth
Wow. i guess there's not much forward visibility in those tail draggers

Ruger9X19
Ruger9X19 2
This was a huge failure by the race officials. Thom signaled before the TO signal and the red flag was raised for the start yet the start wasn't halted.

Glad there were only "minor" injuries, that could have gone a lot worse.

Also, you can almost hear his ass pucker as the two aircraft takeoff either side of him and he realizes he is hosed.
chalet
chalet 1
This is a problem that can happen when several aircraft take off in formation. It is the very same thing as the pile ups of cars in a freeway, and there is nothing that can be done to prevent it except launching one aircraft at a time and order cars to keep a 500 ft. distance from the car up front which is an impossibility. Learn to live with those risks.
cadedm
david cade 2
BS. I've done hundreds if not thousands of formation t/o's and I never put myself in a position where I could hit a dude in front of me if he had a mechanical. This was a bad plan, poor execution, or both.
JohnTownsley
JohnTownsley 2
David, I Agree. Clearly significant lapses occurred in safety procedures associated with this race. Whether the lapses are systemic (as they were with the Galloping Ghost crash) or an individual lapse is to be determined. Fully 20 seconds elapsed between the Hot Stuff 'canopy up' signal of a problem, and the subsequent impact. That's a lot of time, and not much time. Clearly the "KNOCK IT OFF" procedures were inadequate. Whether they also lacked redundancy, and other characteristics of robustness is TBD. Arguing that the 'risks' just go with the sport are BS.
ExCalbr
Victor Engel 1
This reminds me of a time when I was driving my daughter and a couple of her friends from the theater to her friend's house. I had remarked that you're supposed to keep at least 2 seconds behind the car in front of you but that with freeway traffic like where we were, it's usually impossible.

To that, one of the girls replied, "Well, you are." :)

Well, I was, I'm happy to report. Actually, most of the multi-car pile-ups I read about are blamed on the weather, which, in my opinion, is almost entirely misplaced blame. Drivers seem to be the worst about it in California. They will not slow down for the fog because they are afraid someone behind them will rear-end them, which is exactly what happens, because they are not slowing down.
watkinssusan
the video from the pilots cockpit was quite scary! I am glad the pilot and the other one who hit him are both ok..i have not been to reno or the old "stead" airbase in many years,so I dont know how the air races are handled now..a serious miscommunication on someones part...
yr2012
matt jensen 1
That's gotta smart
cerickson85
Reno has had it's fair share of safety problems over the past few years. Might be time for a restructuring to prevent accidents like this from taking place again.
magnetoz
magnetoz 0
(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

Crash Proves Air Racing Is Equal Parts Danger And Excitement

As with any motorsport the risk of bodily harm is an accepted factor when competing in a high stakes race. This race pilot walked away with only minor injuries during a failed start on the final round of the Formula 1 class at the renowned Reno Air Races.

http://aviationbuzzword.com/crash-proves-air-racing-danger/
paviation07
sam kuminecz -4
Formula 1 racers don't have radios for "weight". That would have prevented this
pclifton
Do you have a source for this? The official 2016 rulebook seems to be pretty clear: http://airrace.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2016-RENO-AIR-RACING-ASSOCIATION-INC-official.pdf (page 6, line 40)

"OPERATIONAL transmit and receive VHF radios are required for all race classes qualifying and/or racing at Reno."

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