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20170716023999A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · North American/Aero Classics P-51D · Cummings, KS · July 16, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 16, 2017 · 10:30 local
Place
Cummings, KS
Airport
Amelia Earhart
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N251PW
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN17FA270
Reported as
North American/Aero Classics P-51D
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce V-1650-7
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
10,500 total
N251PWRegistration cancelled Sep 25, 2020 · North American/Aero Classics P-51DS/N 44-72086Airframe modelNorth American/Aero Classics P-51DEngine modelRolls-Royce V-1650-7Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Following departure from the airport, basic radar data indicates numerous changes in altitude and direction consistent with intentional aircraft maneuvers. These radar indications also indicate that the aircraft overflew the airport several times, then traveled to the North west before continuing its track to the southwest of the airport. The aircraft changed directions numerous times during the track and then stayed consistent in a southeast direction for the last few moments of the tracking data. An eyewitness reported that the aircraft overflew the vicinity of their home at an approximate height of 20 to 30 feet above nearby power lines, then pitched up and initiated a left turn. The aircraft then impacted the ground with the flight path in the opposite direction (back to the northwest) as observed from the ground impact indications. The on-site investigation of the aircraft did not reveal any aircraft or system anomaly that would have contributed to this accident. The aircraft sustained substantial damage in the accident. The airman and passenger both sustained fatal injuries.

As the FAA filed it

FOLLOWING DEPARTURE FROM THE AIRPORT, BASIC RADAR DATA INDICATES NUMEROUS CHANGES IN ALTITUDE AND DIRECTION CONSISTENT WITH INTENTIONAL AIRCRAFT MANEUVERS. THESE RADAR INDICATIONS ALSO INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT SEVERAL TIMES, THEN TRAVELED TO THE NORTH WEST BEFORE CONTINUING ITS TRACK TO THE SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT CHANGED DIRECTIONS NUMEROUS TIMES DURING THE TRACK AND THEN STAYED CONSISTENT IN A SOUTHEAST DIRECTION FOR THE LAST FEW MOMENTS OF THE TRACKING DATA. AN EYEWITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT OVERFLEW THE VICINITY OF THEIR HOME AT AN APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF 20 TO 30 FEET ABOVE NEARBY POWER LINES, THEN PITCHED UP AND INITIATED A LEFT TURN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH THE FLIGHT PATH IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION (BACK TO THE NORTHWEST) AS OBSERVED FROM THE GROUND IMPACT INDICATIONS. THE ON-SITE INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT REVEAL ANY AIRCRAFT OR SYSTEM ANOMALY THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE IN THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRMAN AND PASSENGER BOTH SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN17FA270Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportCummings, KSThe loss of airplane control while maneuvering at low altitude for reasons that could not be determined.Jul 16, 2017 · Destroyed