- Date
- November 10, 1994, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Seymour, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N51KFighter Escort Wings P-51D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 18, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941110046559A
- Case key
- 19301
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 failure of the propeller speed unit. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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
During cruise flight the pilot heard a 'loud pop' followed by a loss of power. The pilot followed his forced landing procedures and landed in the only available area. During the landing roll, both main landing gear collapsed. An examination of the aircraft revealed that the propeller speed control unit had failed.
Factual narrative
On November 10, 1994, at 0930 central standard time, a home built 2/3rds scale P-51D, N51K, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Seymour, Texas. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross country flight. There was no flight plan filed.
In the pilot/operator report, the pilot stated that he was in cruise flight at 4,500 feet MSL with "everything indicating normal." Approximately 49 minutes after takeoff "a pop was heard and the engine began to overspeed. The power was reduced to 4,500 RPM"; however, "altitude could not be maintained." The pilot subsequently executed a forced landing to a field, during which both main landing gear collapsed.
An examination, by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, of the aircraft revealed that the propeller speed reduction unit had failed.
The aircraft experienced damage to the frame, landing gear, and wings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51K
- Reported as
- Fighter Escort Wings P-51D
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Airframe hours
- 320
- Engine
- Chevrolet 350 HO 223, 275 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jim Kern
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 31, 1994 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- ADM · Ardmore, OK
- Destination
- 5T6 · Santa Teresa, NM
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
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,400 total · 200 in this make and model · 2,311 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 57 °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.