Randy Wilson wrote:
CH2Tdriver wrote:
From reading the NTSB report, I'm guessing that the cause of the power interruption to both engines was never determined?
Did this happen out over a practice area or at the airport? (I ask because the report states stall/spin but TBM Tony mentions seeing it slide down the runway)
Thanks.
IIRC '95-'96 was a bad period of time for war birds. In addition to the loss of Carolyn, we lost the only airworthy Heinkel, Mossie, and there was the P-38 Lightning crash at Duxford as well. There were others I'm not recalling at the moment. It just seemed that every time I got a copy of a warbird mag during that time, it featured a warbird loss.
They are talking about two different incidents and accidents involving the B-26. One where the nosewheel collapsed on landing in 1985 and the other where the plane crashed on a checkride to requalify one pilot and qualify another in 1995. The checkride would have required engine out procedures and other slow speed flight conditions. If you reread the entire thread hopefully that will make it clearer. Just one point to add if you are not familiar with the Odessa/Midland area of West Texas, the ground here is about 2900 feet above sea level. The altitudes that the plane was reported to be doing these maneuvers is MSL not AGL. These are my personal comments and I don't speak for anyone else, including the CAF. Hope that helps but that's about my last comment on the accident.
Randy
Thank you Randy. I see your point.
And I did read the thread from the beginning. The quick flip to the fatal accident, not knowing the terrain, the emotion Tony was conveying in his comment about a nose gear collapse, combined with the following from the accident report led me to ask for a clarification of the circumstances.
"Witnesses reported the following information. The aircraft was approximately 250 feet above the ground heading southwest. As the aircraft passed over head, the "engines were sputtering." Approximately 3/4 mile from the witnesses, the aircraft made a "sharp" right turn, nosed down, and impacted the ground. A witness added that the engines "quit" prior to the aircraft turning right."