Originally Posted by
dbenj
The P-63 appears to be aligning with the parade line of the bombers, and not the line of P-51s. Additionally the P-63 was likely to overshoot the bomber parade line by some distance based upon its bank angle and relative flight direction with the B-17 at time of impact. For highly experienced professional pilots this seems very hard to explain without pilot incapacitation or mechanical failure.
Agree that the -63 trajectory would have taken it well outside the other aircraft. Even if the -17 was a bit outside of its lane, the -63 looked like a car sliding out around a turn headed for the wall . . . .