North American P-51D N1451D
5 April 1994 · Chino, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 5 April 1994 at about 00:49 local time, a North American P-51D registered N1451D, operated by Michael Clarke, was involved in an accident near Chino, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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 00:49
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Chino, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Chino Muni (CNO)
- Coordinates
- 34.0008, -117.6798
- Aircraft
- North American P-51D
- Registration
- N1451D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Michael Clarke
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Prescott
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX94LA178
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's decision to fly an unairworthy and uncertificated airplane, his failure to perform an adequate preflight, and the improper installation of the oil cooler lines.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot departed with the intention of circling the airport several times to check the aircraft prior to departing on a cross-country to Prescott, Arizona. The airplane was undergoing a major rebuilding and restoration after a previous accident and had not flown for several years. Postcrash examination revealed that two oil cooler lines had been inadvertently crossed. One of the oil cooler lines failed as a result of the incorrect line installation and the engine oil was pumped overboard. The engine subsequently sustained a catastrophic internal failure. The last logbook entry and documented annual inspection for the airplane was dated 1987. The pilot's last flight physical was dated 1981. Ground witnesses stated that the pilot did not go through the normal preflight ground power checks prior to flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other North American P-51D accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Sep 1994 | North American P-51D | Reno, Nevada, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Feb 1996 | North American P-51D | Palm City, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Sep 1990 | North American P-51D | Chatham, Massachusetts, United States | Enhorning, George F. | Fatal | 2 |
| 23 Jun 1990 | North American P-51D | Abilene, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Jul 1990 | North American P-51D | Mayer, Minnesota, United States | Pond, Robert | Fatal | 2 |
| 26 Apr 1989 | North American P-51D | Travis Afb, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-28R-201 | Fort Bragg, California, United States | Sundance Flying Club | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 May 1994 | Schweizer G-164B | Yuba City, California, United States | Sutter Butte Dusters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 1994 | Cessna T210L | Kettleman City, California, United States | Willie Alves Rodrigues | No injuries | - |
| 13 May 1994 | Maule M-5-235C | Columbia, California, United States | White, James L. | No injuries | - |
| 19 May 1994 | Cessna 150L | Rio Linda, California, United States | Hinckley, Thomas, F. | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1994 | Robinson R-22 | Chico, California, United States | Sierra Aviation | No injuries | - |