The deadly Nevada air racing tragedy that killed 11 people may have been caused by a missing tail trim that doubled the plane's "G-load" and made the pilot pass out, an aviation expert tells Fox News.
The WWII-era P-51 Mustang fighter plane -- named the Galloping Ghost -- packed up in Reno during an air race Friday, killing 11 people and injuring at least 70 others. The National Transportation Safety Board is examining photographs taken before and after the disaster for any clues into the crash.
Pilot and aviation expert Blake Mathis told on Wednesday that a broken tail trim seen in one of the photos probable caused the plane to speed upwards into the sky, creating a "tremendous G-load" that made pilot Jimmy Leeward pass out.
"For anyone, not just a man of Mr. Leeward’s age, it might have caused him to black out or pass out," Mathis said. "It can even snap someone’s neck if they’re not prepared for that."
Mathis' theory comes a day after an aviation mechanic said another photo suggests the pilot became dislodged in the cockpit as a consequence of a broken seat
Aviation mechanic J.R. Walker told that Leeward would have been seen in the photo even if he had passed out and was drooping in his seat.
Walker, who has worked on comparable planes, suggested that Leeward’s seat may have slipped back, causing him to lose organize of the plane.
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