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[Stratodog]

GregP speaks again, with details @WW2Aircraft.net

These are words that make a lot of sense to me.  I think it's a very good and detailed analysis.  Probably won't be far off the final report IMO.

[Pursuivant]

God this is a horrible year for aviation. Also, there was a video on YouTube that showed Jimmy supposedly flying out of the plane... I didn't see it because I don't have a YouTube account. If you can find it, please post it...

I don't think it's likely that the pilot flew out of the plane because pictures of the plane just a fraction of a second before impact show the canopy intact. Not to be nasty, but getting slammed through a plexiglass canopy is likely to leave a mess.

Another intelligent analysis (with pictures of port trim tab pulling away):

  http://airpigz.com/blog/2011/9/20/the-galloping-ghost-tragedy-life-risk-and-the-future.html

Useful article on initial focus of the NTSB investigation here:

  http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/2010-full.html

Initial NTSB Briefing here:

 

[Stratodog]

Absolutely excellent articles Pursuivant.  Thanks for posting.

[Thunda]

Heres a screen grab of the trim tab detached:

https://www.sas1946.rocks/images/imageshit/download/192/trimtab.png

sorry- dont know how to upload images properly to SAS!!

Edit: Double screw up- I was still on page 6 and hadnt seen the posts above! GregP's post makes a lot of sense, and the 'airpigz' article too. Still no word on the tail wheel, but its a detail compared to the analysis done on the rest of the crash.

[SAS~Sani]

There is a video on youtube that shows a red parachute opening...

[Wildchild]

There is a video on youtube that shows a red parachute opening...

Well this changes it too...

[Stratodog]

OK, this is a little macabre, but I think that parachute is probably the one that the pilot was wearing...  It seems to bounce off the tarmac and then partially open...

[Pursuivant]

There is a video on youtube that shows a red parachute opening...

The "parachute" could also be some kind of debris from the ground kicked up by the explosion.

If it really is a parachute, the fact that flew out of the wreckage (rather than staying with the pilot) might indicate that Leeward was preparing to bail out before he went into the fatal half loop. That would explain the absence of the pilot in pictures of the plane's final moments, if Leeward had removed his seatbelt before the plane went out of control he might have been squashed down between the seat and the rudder pedals. And then possibly ejected from the cockpit on impact.

Early speculation is that the Galloping Ghost pulled 11 Gs in its final loop, that would have knocked out even a trained fighter pilot wearing a functional g-suit.

[SAS~Friction]

I didn't notice a bright red parachute in any of the original footage, so that might have been editted in. If not though, zoom in on the parachute... there is a body attached to it.

Regards
Friction

[Stratodog]

zoom in on the parachute... there is a body attached to it.

Regards
Friction

That's what I noticed too.  I had to watch it in 1080 to see it.

[razor1uk]

Nice effort in vieling of the less palatable descriptions used recently guys.. You don't have to watch what you don't wish too, blah blah infinitum.

New info - please try to be a little more 'respectful' on some topic aspects, (you can PM amongst yourselves some info too..)
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/mustang-crashes-into-crowd-reno-30309-3.htl#post823405

[Stratodog]

Sorry, was I a bit crass?  I didn't mean to imply any disrespect for Mr. Leeward or is family.  Not my intention.