[Loyal Sedition]

11:00 News showed a VERY clear still photo of a trim-tab coming off the plane just before the pilot lost full control.

The trim-tab is not that large a part, it is part of the horizontal stabilizer.
Apparently, losing it made this plane uncontrollable.

So, it seems fairly clear that this was a mechanical failure at speed.

No doubt the NTSB will have more to say, in several months.

[roamer_1]

This might be an interesting vid for you pilot types. Doesn't show the crash, but does show seconds before the crash, a steep climb, a roll at the top, becoming inverted, and a dive right in... Wonder if that supports any of the mechanical error observations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndd9PVDM3jU Title: Plane Crash at Reno Air Race 2011 (Angle 2)