Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Fri Jul 04, 2014 1:05 pm
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Fri Jul 04, 2014 1:07 pm
Also from NTSB Twitter account. (Day wrong for some reason.)
NTSB @NTSB
NTSB investigating Saturday crash of North American P-51D Mustang while taking off in Durango, Colo.
NTSB @NTSB
NTSB investigating Saturday crash of North American P-51D Mustang while taking off in Durango, Colo.
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Fri Jul 04, 2014 1:27 pm
Had a friend there holding short that saw it happen. No details other the a sad text.
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Fri Jul 04, 2014 3:01 pm
If you follow the link in this article and add a bit of assumption it looks like it may be Nathan Davis' old Mustang.
http://kdvr.com/2014/07/04/ntsb-confirm ... o-airport/
http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20 ... 140409559/
http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/?s ... l/44-74446
http://kdvr.com/2014/07/04/ntsb-confirm ... o-airport/
http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20 ... 140409559/
http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/?s ... l/44-74446
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Fri Jul 04, 2014 6:00 pm
Very sad and upsetting........... 
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Fri Jul 04, 2014 7:01 pm
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Sat Jul 05, 2014 4:31 am
Confirmed, it's the owner and flight instructor. Something seems missing in these articles. You don't learn to fly and start by flying a Mustang.
http://www.durangoherald.com/article...rango-airport-
http://www.durangoherald.com/article...rango-airport-
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Sat Jul 05, 2014 10:41 am
Sorry for the loss of the pilot and instructor.
That airframe seems to have a knack of being involved with accidents that should have never occurred. It was crashed on it's maiden flight after restoration by a pilot who had not flown a mustang, was planning a night cross country with a passenger, instead he ended up crashing it into a feed lot and killing a couple of cows.
http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief ... 178&akey=1
It will be rebuilt to fly again.
That airframe seems to have a knack of being involved with accidents that should have never occurred. It was crashed on it's maiden flight after restoration by a pilot who had not flown a mustang, was planning a night cross country with a passenger, instead he ended up crashing it into a feed lot and killing a couple of cows.
http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief ... 178&akey=1
It will be rebuilt to fly again.
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Sat Jul 05, 2014 11:02 am
This crash has helped solve a 45 year mystery for me. As a boy growing up in Nashville there was a Vanderbilt medical student having a P-51 restored to airworthy at the Nashville airport. We would drive over to see it on Sundays. The story was that the kid's dad promised him a Mustang if he made the grades and got accepted to medical school. He did, his dad gave him the money, and he came home not with a Ford Mustang but a North American Mustang! That was Dr. Bertz of Colorado. Also back in the late 1960's, my dad flew his Aztec and some buddies to look at a P-51 in a hangar in East Tennessee. It was bare metal and covered in dust and smelled oily. Meanwhile there was a verified rumour that a guy in the Chattanooga area of east Tennessee had a bunch of P-51, and T-33 parts, engines, drop tanks, etc.
SO researching this accident yesterday, I found that Dr. Bertz' P-51 was purchased in 1968 from the Tallmantz collection as was the PT-17 my dad bought in 1968.
The P-51 that crashed yesterday passed through an owner in Signal Mtn, Tennessee and is probably the mystery Mustang we went to look at buying back in the late 1960's. Interesting that both P-51's in Colorado have a Tennessee connection.
Regarding the crash, if that aircraft was a TP-51 with the controls added in the back, I can tell you from firsthand experience , there's no way you can safely flight instruct or fly P.I.C. from the back seat of a "D".
SO researching this accident yesterday, I found that Dr. Bertz' P-51 was purchased in 1968 from the Tallmantz collection as was the PT-17 my dad bought in 1968.
The P-51 that crashed yesterday passed through an owner in Signal Mtn, Tennessee and is probably the mystery Mustang we went to look at buying back in the late 1960's. Interesting that both P-51's in Colorado have a Tennessee connection.
Regarding the crash, if that aircraft was a TP-51 with the controls added in the back, I can tell you from firsthand experience , there's no way you can safely flight instruct or fly P.I.C. from the back seat of a "D".
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Sat Jul 05, 2014 11:36 am
An article from April 2014 has a few interesting angles. Rest in Peace.
Source at http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20 ... 140409559/
"On a cool, gray morning at Durango-La Plata County Airport, a fleck of silver approaches from the north.The silvery glint is accompanied by a loud thrum that becomes a gurgled roar as the P-51 Mustang nears. The powerful World War II-era fighter plane makes a low pass slicing along the runway, then pulls up hard and to port, climbing against the mountain backdrop.
Two young boys whoop in appreciation. A business-jet pilot, trying to appear unimpressed, slides his camera phone back into his pocket.
Only 123 P-51 Mustangs remain in the United States out of more than 15,000 that were manufactured, according to the Federal Aviation Administration registry. One of them resides at Durango’s airport.
Because of its iconic role in World War II and eye-pleasing shape, the P-51 Mustang inspires rapturous praise among aviation aficionados.
John Earley, the Durango resident who owns the airplane, compared the Mustang to a Stradivarius violin.
“It’s probably one of the most beautiful things man has created and formed,” Earley said.
Earley, CEO and chairman of Saddle Butte Pipeline LLC in Durango, purchased the plane a year ago from an Indiana man named Nathan Davis.
Earley has made some modifications, adding modern avionics and an improved radio communication system.
“It’s kind of blasphemy for the purists,” he said.
He was quick to add he views owning the plane as a trust.
“It’s always been a childhood dream to shepherd a Mustang for a few years, at least, and pass it on to someone else,” he said.
Earley has flown the plane in the mountains north of Durango and around the Moab, Utah, area.
Earley’s father was a pilot who had a World War II training airplane, and a friend owned a P-51. Earley’s grandfather flew bombers in the war.
“I grew up around the hangars,” he said.
The P-51 was built beginning in 1940 to fight the Luftwaffe over Europe. As the U.S. entered the war, Mustangs guarded bomber fleets on their way to pound Nazi positions. The P-51 often would fly high above the bombers, waiting to swoop in if they were met by enemy fighter planes.
Today, the Mustang is mostly a prized possession of museums and wealthy hobbyists. A well-maintained Mustang can cost around $2 million, and actor Tom Cruise reportedly is among the aircraft’s celebrity owners.
Earley’s Mustang, a later P-51D model, was manufactured by North American Aviation in 1944 in Inglewood, Calif. It went to the Canadian Air Force for training, and the aircraft never saw combat.
Many Mustangs passed into private hands after the war ended, often for a pittance compared to today’s value. Some were bought by inexperienced pilots who crashed the planes.
Earley is learning to fly the Mustang with the help of Mike Schlarb, a longtime local flight instructor.
“I’ve been a flight instructor for 20 years, but this was kind of a special case,” Schlarb said.
The Mustang is a challenging airplane to fly, he said. “It commands a lot of respect. It’s no toy.”
Earley is building up hours in a training aircraft before his insurance company will allow him to fly the Mustang solo.
The Mustang also requires intensive maintenance, as one might expect of a 70-year-old aircraft. In addition to being Earley’s flight instructor, Schlarb keeps his planes running.
The P-51 is the opposite of stealth. It’s loud and fast, equipped with a powerful V-12 engine. Earley has heard some grumbling from adjacent landowners who were annoyed by the Mustang, complaints he’s tried to address.
“It’s just nothing but engine,” said Schlarb. “It’s a screamer. It puts a grin on your face every time you fly it.”
Source at http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20 ... 140409559/
"On a cool, gray morning at Durango-La Plata County Airport, a fleck of silver approaches from the north.The silvery glint is accompanied by a loud thrum that becomes a gurgled roar as the P-51 Mustang nears. The powerful World War II-era fighter plane makes a low pass slicing along the runway, then pulls up hard and to port, climbing against the mountain backdrop.
Two young boys whoop in appreciation. A business-jet pilot, trying to appear unimpressed, slides his camera phone back into his pocket.
Only 123 P-51 Mustangs remain in the United States out of more than 15,000 that were manufactured, according to the Federal Aviation Administration registry. One of them resides at Durango’s airport.
Because of its iconic role in World War II and eye-pleasing shape, the P-51 Mustang inspires rapturous praise among aviation aficionados.
John Earley, the Durango resident who owns the airplane, compared the Mustang to a Stradivarius violin.
“It’s probably one of the most beautiful things man has created and formed,” Earley said.
Earley, CEO and chairman of Saddle Butte Pipeline LLC in Durango, purchased the plane a year ago from an Indiana man named Nathan Davis.
Earley has made some modifications, adding modern avionics and an improved radio communication system.
“It’s kind of blasphemy for the purists,” he said.
He was quick to add he views owning the plane as a trust.
“It’s always been a childhood dream to shepherd a Mustang for a few years, at least, and pass it on to someone else,” he said.
Earley has flown the plane in the mountains north of Durango and around the Moab, Utah, area.
Earley’s father was a pilot who had a World War II training airplane, and a friend owned a P-51. Earley’s grandfather flew bombers in the war.
“I grew up around the hangars,” he said.
The P-51 was built beginning in 1940 to fight the Luftwaffe over Europe. As the U.S. entered the war, Mustangs guarded bomber fleets on their way to pound Nazi positions. The P-51 often would fly high above the bombers, waiting to swoop in if they were met by enemy fighter planes.
Today, the Mustang is mostly a prized possession of museums and wealthy hobbyists. A well-maintained Mustang can cost around $2 million, and actor Tom Cruise reportedly is among the aircraft’s celebrity owners.
Earley’s Mustang, a later P-51D model, was manufactured by North American Aviation in 1944 in Inglewood, Calif. It went to the Canadian Air Force for training, and the aircraft never saw combat.
Many Mustangs passed into private hands after the war ended, often for a pittance compared to today’s value. Some were bought by inexperienced pilots who crashed the planes.
Earley is learning to fly the Mustang with the help of Mike Schlarb, a longtime local flight instructor.
“I’ve been a flight instructor for 20 years, but this was kind of a special case,” Schlarb said.
The Mustang is a challenging airplane to fly, he said. “It commands a lot of respect. It’s no toy.”
Earley is building up hours in a training aircraft before his insurance company will allow him to fly the Mustang solo.
The Mustang also requires intensive maintenance, as one might expect of a 70-year-old aircraft. In addition to being Earley’s flight instructor, Schlarb keeps his planes running.
The P-51 is the opposite of stealth. It’s loud and fast, equipped with a powerful V-12 engine. Earley has heard some grumbling from adjacent landowners who were annoyed by the Mustang, complaints he’s tried to address.
“It’s just nothing but engine,” said Schlarb. “It’s a screamer. It puts a grin on your face every time you fly it.”
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Sat Jul 05, 2014 12:34 pm
sandiego89 wrote:An article from April 2014 has a few interesting angles. Rest in Peace.
Source at http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20 ... 140409559/
"On a cool, gray morning at Durango-La Plata County Airport, a fleck of silver approaches from the north.The silvery glint is accompanied by a loud thrum that becomes a gurgled roar as the P-51 Mustang nears. The powerful World War II-era fighter plane makes a low pass slicing along the runway, then pulls up hard and to port, climbing against the mountain backdrop.
Two young boys whoop in appreciation. A business-jet pilot, trying to appear unimpressed, slides his camera phone back into his pocket.
Only 123 P-51 Mustangs remain in the United States out of more than 15,000 that were manufactured, according to the Federal Aviation Administration registry. One of them resides at Durango’s airport.
Because of its iconic role in World War II and eye-pleasing shape, the P-51 Mustang inspires rapturous praise among aviation aficionados.
John Earley, the Durango resident who owns the airplane, compared the Mustang to a Stradivarius violin.
“It’s probably one of the most beautiful things man has created and formed,” Earley said.
Earley, CEO and chairman of Saddle Butte Pipeline LLC in Durango, purchased the plane a year ago from an Indiana man named Nathan Davis.
Earley has made some modifications, adding modern avionics and an improved radio communication system.
“It’s kind of blasphemy for the purists,” he said.
He was quick to add he views owning the plane as a trust.
“It’s always been a childhood dream to shepherd a Mustang for a few years, at least, and pass it on to someone else,” he said.
Earley has flown the plane in the mountains north of Durango and around the Moab, Utah, area.
Earley’s father was a pilot who had a World War II training airplane, and a friend owned a P-51. Earley’s grandfather flew bombers in the war.
“I grew up around the hangars,” he said.
The P-51 was built beginning in 1940 to fight the Luftwaffe over Europe. As the U.S. entered the war, Mustangs guarded bomber fleets on their way to pound Nazi positions. The P-51 often would fly high above the bombers, waiting to swoop in if they were met by enemy fighter planes.
Today, the Mustang is mostly a prized possession of museums and wealthy hobbyists. A well-maintained Mustang can cost around $2 million, and actor Tom Cruise reportedly is among the aircraft’s celebrity owners.
Earley’s Mustang, a later P-51D model, was manufactured by North American Aviation in 1944 in Inglewood, Calif. It went to the Canadian Air Force for training, and the aircraft never saw combat.
Many Mustangs passed into private hands after the war ended, often for a pittance compared to today’s value. Some were bought by inexperienced pilots who crashed the planes.
Earley is learning to fly the Mustang with the help of Mike Schlarb, a longtime local flight instructor.
“I’ve been a flight instructor for 20 years, but this was kind of a special case,” Schlarb said.
The Mustang is a challenging airplane to fly, he said. “It commands a lot of respect. It’s no toy.”
Earley is building up hours in a training aircraft before his insurance company will allow him to fly the Mustang solo.
The Mustang also requires intensive maintenance, as one might expect of a 70-year-old aircraft. In addition to being Earley’s flight instructor, Schlarb keeps his planes running.
The P-51 is the opposite of stealth. It’s loud and fast, equipped with a powerful V-12 engine. Earley has heard some grumbling from adjacent landowners who were annoyed by the Mustang, complaints he’s tried to address.
“It’s just nothing but engine,” said Schlarb. “It’s a screamer. It puts a grin on your face every time you fly it.”
Tragic for all, and not to discount an unavoidable catastrophic event.
But I must wonder if this owner was also using Stallion 51 and their dual-control TP-51s. Part of their core business is P-51 orientation and training for new buyers and this was a reaction to accidents from the 1980s and 1990s (including the previous accident involving this same P-51.)
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Sat Jul 05, 2014 12:37 pm
That was the only Mustang I have flown in, and then it was not a dual control, it has been rebuilt twice since then, first when the engine failed and it crashed in Ashfork, AZ, then after it crashed on the maiden flight after the first crash.
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Sat Jul 05, 2014 2:08 pm
Matt Gunsch wrote:That was the only Mustang I have flown in, and then it was not a dual control, it has been rebuilt twice since then, first when the engine failed and it crashed in Ashfork, AZ, then after it crashed on the maiden flight after the first crash.
When it was offered for sale it had dual controls in it.
Previous owner had them installed after he purchased it.
It has brakes and throttle quadrant back there in addition.
We operated a D with dual controls for many years. Seemed to work ok.
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Sat Jul 05, 2014 7:30 pm
A very sad day and my thoughts are with the family and friends of both men.
Michael Clark's old "Unruly Julie", probably my favorite Mustang of all time. I got to sit in her way back when. I still remember it quite fondly because it was natural metal (not polished), often had drop tanks attached, and appeared pretty stock, at least externally. All things that were relatively rare for a Mustang in the early 1980's! I lived just a couple of miles from Deer Valley airport and got to see it quite often.
Matt Gunsch wrote:That was the only Mustang I have flown in, and then it was not a dual control, it has been rebuilt twice since then, first when the engine failed and it crashed in Ashfork, AZ, then after it crashed on the maiden flight after the first crash.
Michael Clark's old "Unruly Julie", probably my favorite Mustang of all time. I got to sit in her way back when. I still remember it quite fondly because it was natural metal (not polished), often had drop tanks attached, and appeared pretty stock, at least externally. All things that were relatively rare for a Mustang in the early 1980's! I lived just a couple of miles from Deer Valley airport and got to see it quite often.
Re: Reported P-51 crash in Durango, CO
Sat Jul 05, 2014 8:57 pm
I had a closer look than just sitting in it, on my flight we had the drop tanks installed
After it crashed in Ashfork, Carl borrowed one of the drop tanks to use on the P-64.
After it crashed in Ashfork, Carl borrowed one of the drop tanks to use on the P-64.