mgnostic

My sympathies go out to the dead and injured. One thing about this crash is that it will probably be well documented. Not just from the witnesses and photos but with some hard data. I don't know for a fact that the "Galloping Ghost" was so equipped but a part of the multi million dollar investment in the unlimited racers is in telemetry equipment. There is a lot of real time monitoring and recording of what goes on with the airplane. Given the terrible nature of the crash I suspect that all of the data will be reviewed. Several other posters have cited the possibility of flutter. This may have contributed to the appearance of the tail wheel. The flutter or whatever lead to it may have also damaged the hydraulic system operating the tail wheel allowing it to drop but not truly extend. It's easy to do arm chair analysis but to really know we will have to wait for the data. Though I'm not yet an "older pilot" I do take exception to the many comments on the age of the pilot both with the exaggeration of his age and the implication that his reflexes might not have been up to par. While it's is true that our reflexes do degrade with age it is also true that the people who successfully engage in such activities often have above average skill and reflexes. I'm betting that the eventual conclusion will be that this age was not a factor.