Warbird Information Exchange

Ok, this is a really really really LOOOOONNNNGGGG shot at this question.

Ok, so it was Midnight this past Friday and I was watching the T.V. and Maximum Exposer comes on the tube.

For those who dont know, it is like a mix of crashs, cop chases etc. etc. show. I know lame, but what do you expect at 12 midnight.

Ok, here is the question. During the start of the show when they are showing a collection of crashes etc...I seen a F4-U Corsair inverted at about a 50-60 degree angle with the nose on the airstrip in flames....

Then that was all they showed.....


Ok, long shot...any F4-U's crash really bad like that in the last say 10 years at an airshow?


If I can find a photo, or trap it on the TV, I will post a pic.

I do remember it had stars and bars on it and it was blue.

try here:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/ ... _n10534572

I think this would be the one.

cheers

greg v.

Oshkosh 99, Cavanaghs F4U flown by Ladd Doctor, he screwed up and started a take off run without verifiying if his lead was off, collided with Howard Pardue's F8F Bearcat. He screwed up and then had the gall to sue the EAA and Pardue over his screw up

Sounds like the takeoff collision involving Lad Doctor and Howard Pardue at Oshkosh 1999. Some recent coverage on the outcome at:

http://www.aero-news.net/SpecialContent ... 40fa&cat=7

I think I saw a preview of the show... and I remember thinking it was that crash too.

See the NTSB report here: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_i ... 9172&key=3

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

Does anyone know the out come of the lawsuit? Did he win?

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Hang The Expense

last I heard he got something, but it should have been a kick in the butt for being stupid and destroying a plane. Sorry to sound course, but I was there, I saw the video, I talked to those who were involved. He screwed up and was not man enough to admit it.
I know a Corsair is blind, I have sat in several, but it could have been avoided if he would have called on the radio to ask if Howard was off, or turned the plane abit to look ahead to check to see if he had a clear runway. He did niether, and assumed that Howard had taken off and he had missed the call, so he started to take off, plowed into Howard, his wingman almost hit the 2nd Bearcat, only missing him because he saw him in time to steer off the runway and go around him.

I have been told he did get $ from both but I am not sure how much. The show that I saw it on said that the pilot recovered fully. The injuries he suffered were similar to the ones sustained by Christopher Reeves and the outcome will be similar. Approximately 10 year life span after the accident. The corsair is very blind looking out front as are most of the big engined taildraggers. That is why we are taught to keep the plane at an angle untill you see air under the wheels of the preceeding flight. The pilot of this Corsair taught people this proceedure yet he failed to follow it himself. That is a terrible accident. But sueing for something that is your own fault is just plane wrong. There is just too much of that going around and it severely hurts aviation. Try overhauling the same PT-6 one for a King Air and the other for an Ag plane. I have been told there is a six figure difference in costs, all directly attributable to greedy lawyers who can sue on behalf of the passengers of the King Air but can't on the single seat Ag plane. I believe the remains of that wreck are being rebuilt right now with parts from another aircraft.

Down fall of Warbirds will be lawyers.Just remember win or lose they still get paid.Guess i should have been a lawyer.NOT!

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Hang The Expense

Very sad story all around that affected many lives in several families. The Corsair is only waiting on the motor to fly again.

Spoken like a true person who has never actually needed the services of a lawyer. And most personal injury lawyers get paid a percentage of the winnings. If they don't win, they don't get squat. In most states that is the law and the percentage is fixed.

I believe that "Ladd" is spelled Laird. He was lead for the entire Navy flight taking off at OSH even though there were two Bearcats waiting for the flight running up halway down the runway ahead of them. Sound dumb? His wife sued the EAA and Howard Pardue and won (I think $500,000 between the two). Laird was a great and talented pilot and no one will ever know why he just took off which led to crashing into the Bearcat. It actually could have been much worse for the Bearcats and his wingman Corsair. Laird is a quadrapligec now and suffers greatly. This incident caused much grief in the warbird community and wrecked several friendships too. It is deeper than just lawsuits and airplanes. There is more to the story than this as well.


The Corsair in qustion is in Breckenridge at Nelson's and belongs to someone in CO. CFMs airplane waiting on an engine is another plane entirely.

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Live to fly, Fly to live.....

whoa whoa whoa....."belongs to someone in CO"...who? Names, folks, I need names...anyone got any? IM me if necessary...if this is true I need to know who in CO owns it now...know a couple of folks who been LOOKING for a Corsair out here, never knew anyone was successful at finding one...

Talk to me...

Mark!!

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Mark Morris

Chuck,

Thanks for adding clarity/facts to the story/rumors. As you say, there is a lot more to the story, but most of it has not, and hopefully will not, be made available for general public consumption.

The remains of the Corsair were still at Breckenridge, last time I visited. (Monday after Midlland, Oct 2006). It brought back bad memories seeing the wing sections and the two large fuselage pieces sitting in a hanger. Nelson indicated that they were currently using parts of the structure as "formers" to assist in the creation of panels on another Corsair rebuild they are currently involved with.

The same individual in CO owns the former CFM F4U as well as the former Pardue F4U and the Corsair that was being restored in Kissimmee. He also owns multiple P-38s too.

He would prefer to not be in teh spotlight until the planes are rebuilt and flying but you can find the info if you try hard enough. I am going to respect that and not mention his name in the public forum.

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Live to fly, Fly to live.....

Scumbag lawyers (AND judges)===EQUALS=== Bad news!!!