- Date
- July 14, 1990, 14:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- Seattle, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- NX51VCNorth American P-51
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 41240
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
An encounter with vortex turbulence while on final approach to landing.
Analysis
The pilot of the north American P-51D encountered vortex turbulence while on final approach behind a Hawker sea fury while conducting a formation landing. The aircraft rolled 70 to 75 degrees to the left. The pilot attempted recovery, but his control authority was insufficent to recover. The aircraft struck the runway with the left wing low at about 45 degrees left bank, damaging the left wing and partially collapsing the left main landing gear.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- NX51VC
- Reported as
- North American P-51
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44-74502A
- Engine
- Packard V-1650-9, 1,490 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John V. Crocker
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Airport
- BFI · Boeing Field, runway 31L, 10,001 × 200 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 16,500 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 215 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFI