As the death toll of the terrible Reno air show accident climbs to 11, investigators are beginning to piece together evidence about what might have caused such a disastrous collision.
Many flying experts believe that the 74-year-old stunt pilot lost consciousness before the plane abruptly crashed into stands at full-throttle. Excessive gravitational forces and speeds of up to 500 miles per hour may have caused the pilot to lose consciousness.
One of the event’s long-time announcers, a pilot himself, knew that the aircraft was in trouble right before the crash, but believed the plane would be corrected.
“He got inverted. That’s not a problem. You just finish the barrel roll. When he stayed inverted, I knew Jimmy had a problem,” said the announcer.
The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing to investigate the accident and has not come to any conclusions yet. A loss of consciousness has been acknowledged as a possibility by an NTSB spokesperson, though they do not have conclusive evidence that points to that situation as of yet.
While investigations continue, I know this can be a wearisome and difficult time for those affected by this tragedy, and victims and their family members are in my prayers. In my experience as a plane accident lawyer, I’ve seen aviation investigations go on for quite some time while family members of victims and those injured wait for answers and closure. If you or someone you love was injured in this horrible accident, you may be entitled to compensation for the pain and suffering you endured, or for the loss of a loved one. The aviation disaster lawyers at Panish Shea & Boyle would like to offer our services to those affected by the Reno air show accident. Contact us today to speak with an expert about your aviation accident case.
