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19 Nov 2011 18:36

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U.S.: Reno firefighters make major progress on wildfire, save many homes

  • good The Reno wildfire, which has left some crazy pictures, a pretty insane resident-filmed video, and stunning damage in its wake, is roughly 80 percent contained, authorities say.
  • better While the fire damaged five homes and made 32 others uninhabitable, firefighters have saved roughly 4,500 others on Friday. Next time you’re in Reno, give a firefighter a high-five for a job well done. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Nov 2011 13:51

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U.S.: VIDEO: The Reno wildfire, up close and extremely personal

  • Here’s what the guy that shot this video wrote: “I woke up to a power outage and and an orange glow outside my window at 2:30am. Accross the canyon from me the mountain was on fire and a few homes were in flames. Less than an hour later it had reached my balcony.” The guy, Andrew Lee George (who got out safe), was one of 9,500 people who had to leave their homes as a result of the quickly-growing fire, which has already injured a handful of people and destroyed 20 homes. Yikes. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Sep 2011 18:31

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U.S.: Early investigation: Mechanical failure may have caused Reno crash

  • A tiny part of the plane might have gone missing. Competitive planes such as Jimmy Leeward’s Galloping Ghost are often highly-customized to help them move quicker and more efficiently. One of those part is the “elevator trim tab,” a piece of the plane that helps neutralize controls during a flight — something which comes in handy more than usual if, say, you regularly fly more than 500 miles per hour, like you might in a racing plane. In planes like Leeward’s, not having that piece would have made maneuvering the plane very difficult, and may have forced the plane to pitch severely upward. It might have even caused him to black out just before the crash itself. While the NTSB’s own report was vague, those in the aviation community suggest this combination of things caused Leeward to black out, leading to the crash. In the photo above, the part appears to be missing from the plane, so it’s entirely feasible. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Sep 2011 20:30

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U.S.: Surprise: The plane in the Reno Air Races crash had a black box

  • I’m not aware of a lot of aircraft having it, this is the first one I came across.
  • NTSB lead investigator Howard Plagens • Discussing the “significant” finding of recording devices (commonly called a “black box”) on the vintage WWII fighter plane involved in Friday’s Reno Air Races crash. Due to the nature of the aircraft, it was a bit of a surprise to find it. On top of the data-recording device, there was a camera that pointed outside of the plane. This will be significant as the regulatory agency puts together the pieces of the deadly crash, which killed nine — seven on impact (including the pilot) and two at local hospitals. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Sep 2011 21:43

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U.S.: Reno Air Races press conference: Here’s the latest on the deadly crash

  • nine number of people killed during yesterday’s crash; it’s unknown if this total will rise
  • 69 number of people treated for injuries at local hospitals; 54 were brought there by medics
  • 31 number of people admitted for their injuries; eight patients in critical condition source
  • » Crater left by plane crash: A three-foot deep, eight-foot wide crater was left by the plane crash, according to Chief investigator Howard Plagens. Meanwhile, NTSB member Mark Rosekind says that the focus right now is gathering factual information, not analyzing it. He says that although the crash took seconds to happen, retracing its steps will take months. (information gathered via live press conference)
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17 Sep 2011 20:44

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U.S.: Reno Air Races update: Death toll rises, NTSB press conference soon

  • reno The latest report is that nine people died in the accident yesterday, including the pilot, Jimmy Leeward. Many of those in the hospital — roughly three dozen — suffered head injuries. NTSB officials will have a press conference at 9:15 EDT to relay the latest updates.
  • martinsburg Another crash — a day after that at the Reno Air Races — spooked people at a race in Martinsburg, West Virginia today. The crash killed the pilot but did not affect anyone in the crowds. The pilot, much like Leeward, was flying a vintage World War plane. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Sep 2011 10:06

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U.S.: What we know about last night’s Reno Air Races crash

  • one At least three people have died and more than 50 were injured after a plane crashed into the stands. Many of the injured — some critically — have lost limbs. There was no explosion.
  • two The air races have been cancelled for only the second time in their history — the first being in the wake of September 11, 2001. A memorial will be held today for pilot Jimmy Leeward.
  • three Leeward himself was a qualified pilot, and witnesses say it looked like he tried to salvage the landing. But officials have avoided offering a definitive description of events. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
 
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