Chance Vought F4U-4 N712RD
29 July 1999 · Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 29 July 1999 at about 20:00 local time, a Chance Vought F4U-4 registered N712RD was involved in an accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States
- Nearest airport
- Wittman Regional Airport (OSH)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Chance Vought F4U-4
- Registration
- N712RD
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI99FA266
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot not following the instructions briefed by the formation leader, and the pilot not maintaining clearance from the formation lead airplane. A factor relating to this accident was the area of restricted visibility in front of the pilot when the airplane sits on its tailwheel.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The three airplanes were part of a formation demonstration flight of eight World War II Navy fighters, divided into four sections of two airplanes each, that had been cleared to takeoff from runway 18 at Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, during the annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) convention, 'AirVenture 99'. Air traffic control clearance for the departing aircraft had been relinquished from the FAA tower to a local 'air boss'. The air boss had cleared all of the airplanes to takeoff as a flight. Witnesses saw the lead airplane, a Bearcat, N14HP, and his wingman, taxi down runway 18 approximately 1,400 feet, turn toward the southwest and stop. Approximately 4 seconds later, the lead airplane in the second section, a Corsair, N712RD, collided into N14HP severing the Corsair's left wing, and the Bearcat's right wing. The Corsair continued down the runway, rolling over on it's left side, came apart, and burst into flames. The remains of the Corsair came to rest in a field east of the runway, approximately 2,000 feet down. The Bearcat was turned approximately 180 degrees and came to rest on the runway's east edge. A second Corsair, the wingman of N712RD, veered off of the west side of runway 18, sustaining substantial damage to it's left wing. Examination of all three airplanes revealed no anomalies.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chance Vought F4U-4 F4U-4 | N712RD | - | Destroyed |
| Grumman F8F-1 F8F-1 | N14HP | - | Substantial |
| Chance Vought F4U-5 F4U-5 | N179PT | James M. Read | Substantial |
Other Chance Vought F4U accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr 1997 | Chance Vought F4U | New Smyrna Bch, Florida, United States | Robert F. Collings | No injuries | - |
| 10 Nov 2002 | Chance Vought F4U-4 | Columbia, South Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Apr 1993 | Chance Vought F4U-4 | Breckenridge, Texas, United States | Pardue, Howard E. | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Chance Vought F4U-4 | Chiloquin, Oregon, United States | Erickson Air-Crane Co. | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 May 1987 | Chance Vought F4U-7 | Chula Vista, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 17 May 2014 | Chance Vought F4U 4 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Tobul James R | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug 1999 | Maule MXT7-180A | Lapointe, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Aug 1999 | Cessna 150K | Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Dec 1999 | Israel 1124A | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 May 1999 | Piper PA-28-161 | Mineral Point, Wisconsin, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 1999 | Boeing 777-222 | Madison, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 1999 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Bristol, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |