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20180518005539I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · North American/Aero Classics P-51D · Kewanee, IL · May 18, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 18, 2018 · 18:30 local
Place
Kewanee, IL
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N1751D
Reported as
North American/Aero Classics P-51D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,437 total59 in this make and model29 in the last 90 days
N1751DRegistered now · North American/Aero Classics P-51DS/N 44-63675 · Built 1944Airframe modelNorth American/Aero Classics P-51DEngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

On may 18, 2018, the pilot in command (PIC) of N1751D, a North American P51, departed Kewanee airport (ezi) as number 4 of 4 aircraft formation enroute to Illinois valley regional airport (vys). The weather at galesburg airport (gbg) (closest weather reporting facility, 27NM west) was visual meteorological conditions (VMC), with marginal VMC conditions reported at vys (broken ceiling at 2400 feet above ground level (AGL) and 10 miles visibility).

Enroute, at approximately 15 nautical miles west of vys, the flight noticed the ceilings deteriorating toward instrument conditions and elected to return to ezi. All aircraft entered the traffic pattern for runway 9 via the downwind, with the first three landing without incident. On final approach, the PIC of N1751D felt a ?bump? On the aircraft and immediately knew he had hit something. The PIC radioed the aircraft on the ground and asked them to check the landing gear as he overflew the runway. The flight radioed that the gear appeared down. The PIC then proceeded to land without further incident.

The PIC performed a post- landing inspection and discovered damage to the landing gear. Based on his position on final, the PIC determined he struck the high power utility wires west of the field.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 18, 2018, THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) OF N1751D, A NORTH AMERICAN P51, DEPARTED KEWANEE AIRPORT (EZI) AS NUMBER 4 OF 4 AIRCRAFT FORMATION ENROUTE TO ILLINOIS VALLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT (VYS). THE WEATHER AT GALESBURG AIRPORT (GBG) (CLOSEST WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY, 27NM WEST) WAS VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC), WITH MARGINAL VMC CONDITIONS REPORTED AT VYS (BROKEN CEILING AT 2400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AND 10 MILES VISIBILITY).

ENROUTE, AT APPROXIMATELY 15 NAUTICAL MILES WEST OF VYS, THE FLIGHT NOTICED THE CEILINGS DETERIORATING TOWARD INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS AND ELECTED TO RETURN TO EZI. ALL AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 9 VIA THE DOWNWIND, WITH THE FIRST THREE LANDING WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON FINAL APPROACH, THE PIC OF N1751D FELT A ?BUMP? ON THE AIRCRAFT AND IMMEDIATELY KNEW HE HAD HIT SOMETHING. THE PIC RADIOED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE LANDING GEAR AS HE OVERFLEW THE RUNWAY. THE FLIGHT RADIOED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED DOWN. THE PIC THEN PROCEEDED TO LAND WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

THE PIC PERFORMED A POST- LANDING INSPECTION AND DISCOVERED DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR. BASED ON HIS POSITION ON FINAL, THE PIC DETERMINED HE STRUCK THE HIGH POWER UTILITY WIRES WEST OF THE FIELD.