- Date
- June 26, 1987, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ludington, MI
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3278DNorth American P-51D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870626027349A
- Case key
- 13568
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
N3278D was #1 (leader) in a flt of 2 north American P-51 acft. The plt of the 2nd P-51 rprtd that they were on a southerly heading over water about 1/2 mi from the shore when the leader raised his nose & began rolling to the right. Witnesses on the beach estimated the acft's alt was btn 50 & 200 ft bfr beginning the maneuver. Rprtdly, the nose of the acft came down thru the horizon as the plane reached an inverted position, then the acft entered a dscnt & the direction changed to the southeast as the plane rolled to a wings lvl attitude. Bfr recovering from the descnt, the acft hit a sand dune near the shore. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was fnd.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3278D
- Reported as
- North American P-51D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44-73216
- Airframe hours
- 827
- Engine
- Packard R.R. V-1650-7, 1,720 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Meylam Enterprises, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Limited (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1987 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- TVC · Traverse City, MI
- Destination
- LUD · Ludington, MI
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 100 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVC, 51 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.