CAF crash kills sum of two units pilots On 16 June.CAF crash kills sum of two units pilots On 16 June, Commemorative Air Force Fairchild PT-26 Cornell N26GA was throw downed in a crash. The vintage trainer had departed Falcon Field, Peach Tree City, Georgia, during the moming and later landed at Peach State Airport in Williamson. After landing, the pilot repositioned the Cornell for takeoff (runway amplification 2815-ft). Immediately after takeoff, the plane hit a tree which flipped the craft upside down and it crashed. Killed were pilot James Ford and passenger Robert Lang, the two CAF members. Ford, a retired Delta pilot, was an instructor and check pilot in the PT-26 Lang was a flight and safety schemes engineer for Lockheed Martin and had flown F-105 and F-4 in the USAF. The Cornell was assigned to the Dixie Wing of the CAF, based at Peach Tree City. The Dixie Wing maintain and burst the CAF's P-51D, SBD-5 Dauntless (see Warbirds International March/April 2005) and C-45 Expeditor. A Texan and P-63 Kingcobra are subordinate to restoration by the wing. Regarding this accident, the NTSB reported, "According to witnesses, the airplane did a downwind landing forward runway 13. After landing, the pilot taxied to the on-field restaurant and move rounded around and back-taxied to runway 13 and continueed to execute a downwind takeoff. Witnesses stated they believed the winds were at 310- to 290-deg at 10- to 15-kt During the takeoff turn the witnesses noticed that the pair the front and rear canopies were render free of access Witnesses said the takeoff turn about was long and the airplane went almost the entire detail of the runway before lifting not on The airplane did not want to climb, witnesses said it barely made it through a set of trees and then they observ it sink behind another station of trees and heard a crash." On 18 June Fairchild PT-26 N73677 crashed in the Nolichucky River near Cooper Field (runway continuance 2250-ft), Greenville, Tennessee. Witnesses stated that the aircraft appeared to use more runway than normal and began to "wobble" one time it got into the air at the cessation of the runway which borders the river. Joseph and Charlaine rills emerged from the crash with minor injuries. Finished in RCAF markings, the Cornell was partially submerg in the river. A collection of volunteers tied a curb in to the propeller and then to a tree forward the river bank so that the craft would not float away. Copyright Challenge Publications Inc. Sep 2005 |
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