Oshkosh tragedy - two Mustangs collide

[TabulaRasa]

I was there when it happened. It is really tragic as the pilots were a father-son team.



It's the P-51 with the green wings. This was taken minutes before.




P-51 crash at AirVenture leaves one dead


Click here for video: One dead in Warbirds crash on runway
By Bethany K. Warner
of The Northwestern

The pilot of a P-51 Mustang died Friday in a fiery crash with another P-51 as the airplanes were landing on the north-south runway at Wittman Regional Airport.

The two warbirds were flying at the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture as part of the Reno Racers in the Showcase flights, which is about an hour-long performance before the main air show starts. The crash occurred as the airplanes were landing in formation about 3:15 p.m.

The EAA confirmed that one pilot was killed and the other had unspecified injuries. Authorities have not released the identities of either pilot.

Chuck Chall, of Brighton, Mich., saw the crash, and said in formation landings, the second plane should land first, but that in this case, the lead plane had already landed.

"I could see it developing," Chall said. "I could see it happening before it started."

According to Howell Herman, of Mt. Morris, Ill., who also witnessed the crash, the second P-51 was coming in faster than the lead airplane. He said at first, it looked like the second plane would overshoot the first.

"I was shocked," Herman said. "It's a tragedy. No one expects an accident. These guys are pros."

Other witnesses said the trailing plane landed, but its propeller clipped the tail of the lead plane, pushing it on to its nose. Witnesses said the second plane may have tried to swerve, but ended up flipping over the lead plane to finally land upside in the grass to the east of the runway. After flipping upside down, witnesses said, the plane burst into flames.


Witnesses said the pilot of the plane that ended up on its nose was able to walk away from his plane and first ran toward the burning plane before turning back and then falling to his knees.


"There was definitely a big fireball," said Walt Meziere of Texas, who saw the crash.

Meziere explained that P-51s have limited forward visibility when landing.


"I guess he didn't see he was too close," Meziere said.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Ted Lowpatkiewicz said NTSB investigators are on scene and are expected to be able to provide additional information about the crash Saturday afternoon.


EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski said P-51s take considerable training to fly because they are big, powerful and fast.

P-51s were military aircraft that often served as bomber escorts during World War II.


The daily air show was delayed for slightly more than an hour and when it resumed, pilots put on an abbreviated program. The hour-long Warbirds show that was scheduled to start at 5 p.m. was cancelled.


This is the first crash that happened during the Showcase flights or airshow in the last 15 years, Knapinski.

Barry Morris of Georgia, said he realized that he had likely witnessed a fatal accident when they saw emergency responders begin to cover the flipped-over airplane with a tarp.

"That's what upset us the most. You can replace metal; you can't replace the man," Morris said.


Bethany K. Warner: [phone] or [email protected]. Krista B. Ledbetter contributed to this report