North American P-51D N5449V

Summary

On 15 July 1984 at about 15:43 local time, a North American P-51D registered N5449V, operated by Earl Ketchen, was involved in an accident near Carbondale, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

15 July 1984 at 15:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Carbondale, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Unknown

Coordinates

39.3902, -107.2103

Aircraft

North American P-51D

Registration

N5449V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Earl Ketchen

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Aspen → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN84FA222

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT WAS PERFORMING AEROBATIC MANEUVERS IN A P-51D THAT HAD BEEN MODIFIED FOR RACING & EXHIBITION. WITNESSES NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED THAT THE ACFT HAD JUST COMPLETED SEVERAL AEROBATIC MANEUVERS BEFORE IT BEGAN A VERTICAL CLIMB. THE CLIMB WAS TERMINATED AT ABOUT 3000 FT, THEN THE ACFT WENT INTO A NOSE DOWN SPIN. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO SPIN UNTIL GROUND IMPACT. THE PLT HANDBOOK STATES THAT POWER OFF SPINS ARE PERMITTED WHEN STARTED ABOVE 12,000 FT, BUT POWER ON SPINS & SNAP ROLLS ARE PROHIBITED. STALLS ARE COMPARATIVELY MILD & THE ACFT HAS VERY LITTLE TENDENCY TO DROP INTO A SPIN. DURING RECOVERY FROM POWER OFF SPINS, THE ACFT NORMALLY STOPS SPINNING IN 1 TO 1-1/4 TURNS AFTER RECOVERY CONTROLS ARE APPLIED. POWER ON SPINS REQUIRE AS MANY AS 5 TO 6 TURNS & 9000 TO 10,000 FT TO RECOVER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.