Mustang down, pilot ok!
Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:32 pm
John Bagley's P-51D N251RM went down yesterday in Rexburg, OR. Thankfully Bagley escaped with minor cuts and bruises!
http://www.localnews8.com/news/local/4983986.html
This is the Mustang in question.
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=214047
T J
http://www.localnews8.com/news/local/4983986.html
This is the Mustang in question.
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=214047
T J
Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:18 am
Great to hear that John's ok. I met him at Reno in 98, and at the mustang gathering in 99... he is a really nice guy. I seem to remember that he owned Bob Hoover's Ole' Yeller... does he still own her as well?
Cheers,
Richard
Cheers,
Richard
Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:49 am
Glad to here John's ok!
FYI, Rexburg is in Idaho
FYI, Rexburg is in Idaho
Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:20 am
That is an ex-Bolivian Cavalier F-51D that was owned by Russ McDonald before he died in 2004. Tulio took some photos of it a few months ago painted as the "Mormon Mustang".
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... on+mustang
The last info I had showed the N251RM registration lapsing this last summer...
News report:
http://www.kpvi.com/index.cfm?page=nbcs ... fm&ID=3179
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... on+mustang
The last info I had showed the N251RM registration lapsing this last summer...
News report:
http://www.kpvi.com/index.cfm?page=nbcs ... fm&ID=3179
A plane has gone down on Highway 20 in Rexburg. What we know now is that traffic has been re-routed in both directions.
The crash is at milepost 333 which is the middle Rexburg exit. This is also the area of Highway 20 next to the Rexburg airport.
But we are also being told that the pilot is okay and walking around.
The plane we are told is a P-51 Mustang, which is a World War II fighter plane. The Legacy Flight Museum may have been where the plane is based.
Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:01 am
Update: WWII Plane Crashes on Highway 20
After thirty minutes in the air, testing out the rebuilt engine of a P-51 Mustang, pilot John Bagley made an emergency landing on Highway 20.
"The thing that hurts the most is that this is a historic airplane, in really good shape and it was just a choice airplane," said the pilot John Bagley.
This choice airplane, landed in the center divider, causing traffic in Rexburg to be back up for hours on Thursday.
Police and state troopers arrived on the scene immediately, roping off the area, sending travelers on a detour in both the north and south bound lanes.
Both police and the FAA are investigating, they don't know what happened, but the pilot did say he experienced some engine problems before he crashed.
Bagley says he was performing a stop-and-go procedure with the newly restored engine.
As he pulled off the runway a second time, the engine quit, started running again, than quit once more.
"I could see I wasn't going to make it. The only place I knew to go was the median because I couldn't go south bound because I was going faster than the cars north bound take them head on," Bagley added.
Shortly after the emergency landing, Bagley was able to make his way out of the plane with only a few minor cuts and bruises.
"It's amazing he walked out of this, and lucky he did," said Rexburg Police Officer Shane Turman.
Bagley is no stranger to a wild flight. He says he's almost used up all of his nine lives, but when asked if he's reached his final destination, “Heavens no,” he said, “you get in a car wreck you go back and drive a car. I'm not giving up flying."
Perhaps just in this plane. Crews came, destroying the remains, picking the plane apart piece by piece to get it off the highway.
The plane will be taken to a local hanger, where police and the FAA will continue investigating the crash.
Highway 20 has reopened.
After thirty minutes in the air, testing out the rebuilt engine of a P-51 Mustang, pilot John Bagley made an emergency landing on Highway 20.
"The thing that hurts the most is that this is a historic airplane, in really good shape and it was just a choice airplane," said the pilot John Bagley.
This choice airplane, landed in the center divider, causing traffic in Rexburg to be back up for hours on Thursday.
Police and state troopers arrived on the scene immediately, roping off the area, sending travelers on a detour in both the north and south bound lanes.
Both police and the FAA are investigating, they don't know what happened, but the pilot did say he experienced some engine problems before he crashed.
Bagley says he was performing a stop-and-go procedure with the newly restored engine.
As he pulled off the runway a second time, the engine quit, started running again, than quit once more.
"I could see I wasn't going to make it. The only place I knew to go was the median because I couldn't go south bound because I was going faster than the cars north bound take them head on," Bagley added.
Shortly after the emergency landing, Bagley was able to make his way out of the plane with only a few minor cuts and bruises.
"It's amazing he walked out of this, and lucky he did," said Rexburg Police Officer Shane Turman.
Bagley is no stranger to a wild flight. He says he's almost used up all of his nine lives, but when asked if he's reached his final destination, “Heavens no,” he said, “you get in a car wreck you go back and drive a car. I'm not giving up flying."
Perhaps just in this plane. Crews came, destroying the remains, picking the plane apart piece by piece to get it off the highway.
The plane will be taken to a local hanger, where police and the FAA will continue investigating the crash.
Highway 20 has reopened.
Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:41 am
Silverplate wrote:Crews came, destroying the remains, picking the plane apart piece by piece to get it off the highway.
Does anyone have pictures of the wreck? The first link on this thread wouldn't work for me.
I'm glad John's okay. He survived a horrendous T-28 crash years ago. He showed us pictures of it when we were hanging the engine on his (now Steve Patterson's) Sea Fury back in 2000. I'm glad he was able to walk away from this one too.
Gary
Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:56 am
That would be a write off. the main thing is that the pilot is O.K.
Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:37 am
If it has logbooks and a data plate, it will be rebuildable.
Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:42 am
OUCH!
Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:14 am
Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:28 pm
Posted at Warbirds Online... click the KIFI link for news video.
http://www.warbirds-online.org/?p=77
http://www.warbirds-online.org/?p=77
Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:32 pm
mustangdriver wrote:That would be a write off. the main thing is that the pilot is O.K.
A write off...Not a chance! Lot's of good stuff there yet.
John
Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:37 pm
Those stinkin' news people seemed more concerned that it was inconvenient for the highway travelers that he had "backed up for miles" than they were that he was okay. Probably would've made for a better story had he died. 