North American P-51D N12700

Summary

On 23 June 1990 at about 18:00 local time, a North American P-51D registered N12700 was involved in an accident near Abilene, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 June 1990 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Abilene, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Dyess (DYS)

Coordinates

32.4493, -99.7307

Aircraft

North American P-51D

Registration

N12700

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW90DQG03

1 person died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHILE MANEUVERING AFTER A LOW PASS, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PILOT BEGAN HIS AIR SHOW ROUTINE WITH A LOW PASS DOWN THE RUNWAY FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. HE THEN MADE A CLIMBING TURN TO A CLOSE-IN DOWNWIND LEG. AT THE END OF THE DOWNWIND LEG, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN AT WHAT WAS REPORTED TO BE A SLOWER THAT NORMAL SPEED. AFTER ABOUT 90 DEGREES OF TURN, THE ANGLE OF BANK INCREASED RAPIDLY, THE NOSE DROPPED, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A STEEP DESCENT. A WITNESS REPORTED THE ENGINE WAS NOT DEVELOPING FULL POWER; HOWEVER, THIS COULD NOT BE SUBSTANTIATED. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 4500 FT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.