- Date
- September 6, 1989, 16:24 local (21:24 UTC)
- Place
- Denton, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N51VPNorth American F-51
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890906033919A
- Case key
- 22694
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
The pilot's failure to detect water in the fuel system during the preflight which subsequently resulted in a loss of power.
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 pilot taxied the aircraft to the departure runway and performed a normal pre-takeoff run up. The aircraft was viewed by numerous pilots to depart to the south and make a normal right climbing turn. During the climb to the southwest, the witnesses heard the engine surge and stop. The aircraft was seen to level and descend as it continued the right turn back toward the airport. It was observed to stall at approximately 100 feet AGL prior to impacting into the open field adjacent the departure end of the runway. The pilot had not sumped the fuel system during the aircraft pre-flight. Water was found in the fuel system and powerplant during the investigation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51VP
- Reported as
- North American F-51
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44-73142
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce V-1650-9A, 1,000 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vernon Peterson, doing business as Jon Bradford
- Registered owner
- J. Bradford Enterprises
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Limited (Special)
- Airport
- DTO · Denton Municipal, runway 17, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 30,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 20,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.