Papa 51 THUNDER MUSTANG N151TM

Summary

On 30 May 1998 at about 18:45 local time, a Papa 51 THUNDER MUSTANG registered N151TM was involved in an accident near Marsing, Idaho, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 May 1998 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Marsing, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

43.4790, -116.8394

Aircraft

Papa 51 THUNDER MUSTANG

Registration

N151TM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Nampa → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA98FA083

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the flight was to demonstrate the airplane's performance envelope and flight characteristics to an individual who had recently invested in the company, that produces the kits for building this experimental aircraft. For the first five minutes of the flight, the Mustang flew in formation with an aircraft being flown by a company official, and then the Mustang demonstration pilot proceeded to an area south of Marsing, Idaho. The aircraft was observed performing a series of maneuvers in that area under a ceiling that was estimated at 2,000 to 2,500 feet AGL. Recorded electronic engine performance data indicated that the aircraft's throttle was retarded to idle about a minute and forty-five seconds prior to impact. Witnesses said that after they heard the power reduced, the aircraft climbed for awhile and then began to slow. As the aircraft's speed became 'very slow' its nose dropped and it lost a few hundred feet of altitude. After leveling off and slowing again, the aircraft's nose dropped a second time. Soon thereafter the aircraft rolled to the left and impacted the ground from an altitude that was estimated to be between 75 feet and '...two and one-half times the height of the nearby power line towers.' The recorded engine data showed that about five seconds before impact, the aircraft's throttle was pushed forward to about 72%, and the engine accelerated to almost 4,100 rpm. About one second before impact the throttle was retarded to idle.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.