- Date
- July 18, 1990, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mayer, MN
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N512EDNorth American P-51D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900718027119A
- Case key
- 14486
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Undetermined
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
The aircraft crashed in a steep nose down attitude (estimated 60 to 75 degrees) at a high rate of speed. Ground witnesses reported observing the airplane in a right wing low attitude, with smoke (or vapor) trailing off the right wing. Aircraft wreckage was scattered in small pieces on a southwesterly heading over an area about 25 yards wide and 45 yards long. No preimpact mechanical failure or evidence of pilot incapacitation was found, though there were extensive decellerative forces during impact. Also, an exam of the wreckage revealed no evidence of fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N512ED
- Reported as
- North American P-51D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 51RJB
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce V-1650-7, 1,490 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pond, Robert
- Registered owner
- Robert J Pond
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Limited (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1990 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- FCM · Eden Prairie, MN
- Destination
- FCM
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
- 58
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 187 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSP, 28 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.