James Leeward, 74, and his P-51 Mustang, The Galloping Ghost, were in third place and had just rounded pylon number 8 when the aircraft abruptly pitched up, rolled inverted, then nosedived.[4] The aircraft hit the apron at over 400 miles per hour (640 km/h) in front of the grandstands in an area containing box seating, disintegrating on impact. There was no fire.