Flying Legends P-51D Accident Report Now Published

[Jessie The Jeep]

Some of you who were there, or those who read my read my Flying Legends thread, will recall the following P-51 suffered damage during an emergency landing following loss of power on final approach.

 

 

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has now published its report on the accident, although the cause of the engine fault was not determined by the time the report was published. In fact, it appears that nothing has been done to the aircraft since its accident, other than fitting a new landing gear leg to enable the aircraft to be towed off the runway. It now sits in the open brick shelter at Duxford, awaiting repairs.

 

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources/North%20American%20P-51D-20%20Mustang,%20G-BIXL%2012-08.pdf

 

Steve

[Jessie The Jeep]

Here's the damaged leg. It is highly likely that the wing has been distorted too, as in another picture I've seen, the top skin looks wrinkled.

[M5Clive]

Very interesting reading and thanks very much Steve for posting this.

 

I was at the East end of the airfield watching all the aircraft that had performed in the 'Balbo' land back in and witnessed this incident first-hand.

 

The following quote from the report surprised me:

 

"A flight test was flown in the overhead of the airfield in various configurations and at

various power settings, including in simulated approach conditions, and the engine performed normally."

 

I was sat just beside the new AirSpace hangar that morning when Miss Helen performed these tests overhead the airfield and on one pass, she sounded to me to be running very rough indeed - So much so, that I watched her acutely, expecting the prop to stop turning any minute!

 

Alright, so what do I know sat down on the ground when the report is compiled from the opinions of the guy in the hot-seat? Nonetheless, I am used to seeing and hearing various Mustang's nearly every weekend throughout the show season buzzing around this area and none of them ever sound like Miss Helen did at Duxford that Sunday morning!

 

Thanks again for posting.

[Jessie The Jeep]

I'd agree about the air test. One particular pass high over the field didn't sound right to me either, but perhaps with all the noise in the cockpit, what sounded odd to us wasn't heard, and didn't show on the instruments?

 

Steve