SHORT explodes CLASSIC AIRCRAFT Accident occurs during Oshkosh Air Venture On 26 July well-known Mustang pilot Dick James was killed in the crash of P-51D N6327T The aircraft departed Oshkosh with three other Mustangs as a flight of four to perform a missing man flight at the airshow.SHORT explodes CLASSIC AIRCRAFT Accident occurs during Oshkosh Air Venture On 26 July well-known Mustang pilot Dick James was killed in the crash of P-51D N6327T The aircraft departed Oshkosh with three other Mustangs as a flight of four to perform a missing man flight at the airshow. N6327T was the no. 4 aircraft in the flight. According to the lead Mustang's pilot, the flight was holding in a V-shaped formation upon the east side of Lake Winnebago at 2000-ft AGL. The flight leader asked the airshow bos for what reason much longer they would have to shut in before the flight's performance could start. The airboss stated it would be about 15-min. The flight leader called a formation change to four Mustangs in trail and the flight performed a series of lazy eights. A witness stated: "On about 4 to 4:15-pm I observ four airplanes coming from the west side of the lake and they started to do more [i]or[/i] less steep turns following the shore line. (Three) of the planes held a tight flight pattern and did digest turns (and) the fourth aircraft was substantially further behind the three planes. I noticed this when they came across the lake and also when they started their maneuvers. The plane kept far behind (and) followed the first three planes in the maneuvers. When the first, other (and) third planes did a soak turn and headed east then plucked up and at the top of the pull-out they whirled the planes over (and) continued east. The fourth plane followed unless on top of his chance he rolled slower than the three previously. The plane in no degree finished the roll completely (and) lugginged under (and) flew (inverted) to the west instead of east following the three planes. The plane then cause to deviateed to the north trying to repair but all I heard was an acceleration of spe (and) the plane going straight down until it went blow then quit. The other three planes kept flying for 5-mins or so" Copyright Challenge Publications Inc. Oct 2005 |
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