P-51 sad...

[celloman]

Not a good couple of weeks for the P-51

http://www.thecamarilloacorn.com/news/2007/0720/front_page/001.html
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/27/airshow.crash.ap/index.html

 

[Seadogrun]

What a shame.

 

[jumppilot]

What type of routine were they doing that resulted in that crash?

One is landing, and the other wanted to pass close behind or something?

RIP

 

[Princedietrich]

They had just finished up a demonstration routine and were both coming in to land. The lead plane touched down but the trailing plane was going just a little too fast. Due to his AoA and not being able to see over that big ol engine, the trailing plane didn't know he was getting too close until it was too late. Prop caught the tail feathers of the lead plane, pushed it up onto its nosecone and it skidded to a halt.

Trailing plane wasn't quite so lucky....

 

[woutlaw]

A video of the Oshkosh crash is available at:

http://www.aero-tv.net/index.cfm?videoid=00b0d640-e714-4b79-b17b-6f3b0f149c4d

I'd met Gerry Beck a couple of times (he was killed in the trailing Mustang, a plans-built P-51A) and went up to the memorial service for him in Fargo on Tuesday.

He was a pretty amazing guy and an honest legend in the warbird community. His company up in Wahepeton, ND did some wonderful work restoring old warbirds.

Probably 1,000 people showed up at the memorial. We laughed, we cried, it was a most fitting tribute to Beck, who probably would have wondered what all the fuss was about.