SEA97FA130

The aircraft (P-38) had been topped off with full reserve & main fuel tanks (44 US gal/engine reserve tanks & 72 gal/engine main tanks). The pilot took off with about 20 minutes fuel having been already consumed. Operating with another P-38 within the airport area, the 2 aircraft flew about 20 to 25 minutes each. The fuel consumption was reported nominally at 60 gallons/hour/engine (1 gal/minute). With 44 gallons of fuel in each RESERVE tank for the duration of both flights, the engines would have exhausted all available fuel in each RESERVE tank after about 44 minutes. Both fuel selectors were found on the RESERVE setting at the site. No mechanical malfunction was found with either propeller or engine. The flaps & landing gear were retracted. According to the Pilot's Manual (flight manual), if one engine fails below 120 mph (safe single-engine airspeed), the pilot is to 'close both throttles and land straight ahead.' The flight manual did not provide any information for aircraft minimum control speeds with the flaps fully retracted. Several witnesses reported the aircraft was slow while turning base. Since this was a single-seat aircraft, there was no provision for 'dual' instructional training in single-engine procedures or spin recovery. The pilot was reported to have flown 6 or 7 hours in another P-38, which included practice simulated single-engine maneuvers, but no actual in-flight shut down & feathering of an engine.

History of flight

On June 6, 1997, approximately 1800 Pacific daylight time, a Lockheed P-38L "Lightning," retaining a limited airworthiness registration, N7973, registered to Bruce L. Pruett, and being flown by a commercial pilot, was destroyed during collision with terrain following a loss of control while on visual approach to the Tillamook airport, Tillamook, Oregon. The pilot was fatally injured and a post crash fire destroyed a portion of the aircraft. Visual meteorological conditions existed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was a practice run for an upcoming P-38 pilot convention (including the pilot's father, a World War II P-38 pilot), was to have been operated under 14CFR91.

The pilot/owner of N2114L, a P-38L sister ship nearly identical to N7973, and which was restored to flying condition several months earlier, was interviewed. He reported that both N2114L and N7973 took off from the Tillamook airport between approximately 1715-1730. He reported logging approximately 20-25 minutes of flight time on the flight (in N2114L). He also reported taking off immediately before N7973 and was ahead of the aircraft during his approach and landing.

An 8 millimeter video recording, made by the manager of the Tillamook Naval Air Station Museum, and showing the takeoff of both P-38's, was reviewed. It was noted that both aircraft started their engines nearly simultaneously and N2114L (the olive green P-38L) departed immediately ahead of N7973 (the silver P-38L). The duration of this tape, which concluded with N2114L taxiing in to the ramp following its flight, was measured on a stopwatch and found to be 9 minutes and 57 seconds in duration. A number or recognizable breaks in the video recording were noted as the operator, who was recording from the ramp at the Tillamook airport, stopped recording and then began again at later times during the flight duration. N7973 was observed to make a number of low passes (with N2114L) over the airport, one of which included an aileron roll. Both aircraft remained within several thousand feet above ground maximum elevation during their flights.

A number of witnesses observed the aircraft during the final moments of flight. The following observations were reported be these witnesses as described in their statements (attached):

Witness Simmons, who was located approximately one-quarter mile northwest of the crash site in a vehicle travelling eastbound on Simmons Creek Road, reported seeing "a wobbling, or wavering of the wings" and that the "last thing I saw was the P-38 in a nose-down position."

Witness Johnston, who was located approximately one mile north of the crash site at his residence (looking south) reported seeing the P-38 "in gentle circles going towards the ground" and stated that he saw "at least four revolutions counterclockwise (left to right) before it went behind the hill." Additionally, he stated that "I also had the impression that the aircraft was in a flat spin along with the slow revolutions to the earth."

Witness Tone, who was located approximately one mile south of the crash site at her residence (looking north) reported seeing the plane "heading east just behind some trees. It came out into a small clearing and I noticed how low it was flying." Additionally, she stated that "it was going very slow like it was gliding and then it started slowly flipping out of control, not end over end. It went more sideways (and) rolling over slowly."

Witness Nielsen, who was located approximately one mile southwest of the crash site at a residence (looking northeast) reported seeing the plane "going east at a good height flying almost level when (he) heard a pop-pop. The next time (he) looked up it was in a tailspin."

Witness Larsen, who was located approximately one-half mile west of the crash site at a residence (looking east) reported seeing the plane "flying east at an altitude of approximately 400-500 feet, when it began to sputter (and) then pop. It maintained an easterly, level flight pattern for approximately four seconds, then began a series of 2-3 clockwise, flat, wobbly, downward spins. It came out of the last spin, heading north, with the nose at a 45 degree angle as it disappeared into the treetops."

Witness Imhoff, who was located approximately two miles northwest of the crash site in a residential back yard (looking northwest to south) reported seeing the plane during its downwind and turn to base leg. He stated that "the plane continued easterly, straight (and) level for a few (~20) seconds and then turned right, once again a generally flat turn, low speed, ~1500 feet elevation. As the aircraft came to a southeasterly heading, I heard two loud pops about 4 or 5 seconds apart. Immediately after the second one, the aircraft began to roll to the right, going completely over twice, losing altitude, and going behind some tall trees, out of sight." Additionally, he reported that "as the aircraft began to roll, with the left wing coming right, over the right wing, it seemed that the front to back axis of the aircraft was skewed to the right of the direction of travel as if it were flying with the left wing ahead of the right wing. It seemed to maintain this position through both revolutions and out of site."

Witness Biegel, an aircraft mechanic who was driving southbound on South Prairie Road approximately one mile north of the crash reported seeing both P-38's. He reported that "the silver lightning was in a slow turn in my direction" and that "I thought its airspeed was a little slow and the aircraft went into a flat spin." He reported that "ten seconds or less went by between level flight, the flat spin and (the) crash" and that "the aircraft was approximately 500 feet (in) altitude."

Witness Ryder, who was located approximately three miles north-northwest of the crash site at the Tillamook airport (looking southeast) reported seeing a silver plane "falling out of the sky; not (in a) nose dive, just falling."

The pilot's father, who reported 10,000 hours of flight experience, of which approximately 3,000 hours of flight experience was in the P-38, also observed the aircraft during the accident sequence. Witness Ervin Ethell, who was located approximately three miles north-northwest of the crash site at the Tillamook airport (looking south) reported seeing the aircraft "3 to 4 miles from the end of the runway" and "about 3 to 4 hundred feet (in) height." He further reported that "It seem(ed) to me to be much slower than what the normal approach speed should be" and that "I also saw the left wing drop pretty quick and the pilot immediately raise(d) the left wing up to level flight. Some 2 to 3 seconds later the aircraft made a slight right turn (approximately 5 or 6 degrees) and started down."

A private pilot flying into the Tillamook airport also witnessed the accident. Witness Felley, who was flying a Cessna 172, announced via radio his intention to "perform a cross-field entry into the downwind leg for runway 31." He reported that "coming up to the airport's east side approaching hangar "B," I was descending through approximately 1,500 feet to get to pattern altitude and I noticed the P-38 a few miles to my left, heading south." He further reported observing the aircraft transition from a descent to a climb "combined with what appeared to be a hard bank to the right, a nearly 180 degree change in heading - perhaps the beginning of a roll (I believe it was to the right), then it appeared to regain level attitude and proceeded immediately into a spin." He further reported that he believed that "the P-38 might have spun 4 to 5 times in a slight nose-down attitude before it disappeared from sight" and that "it went in with little or no perceptible horizontal speed."

Witness Felley then diverted to the accident site, circling overhead at 1,500 feet for 10 to 15 minutes and coordinated via cellular telephone with 911 providing instructi