Lockheed P-38L-5LD N25Y

Summary

On 25 June 2001 at about 14:20 local time, a Lockheed P-38L-5LD registered N25Y was involved in an accident near Greenwood, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 June 2001 at 14:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Greenwood, Mississippi, United States

Nearest airport

Greenwood-Leflore (GWO)

Coordinates

33.5101, -90.1899

Aircraft

Lockheed P-38L-5LD

Registration

N25Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tullahoma → Greenwood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

NTSB number

MIA01LA171

Nobody was injured.

the failure and uncontained separation of supercharger impeller blades for undetermined reasons during normal descent, resulting in a punctured fuel line and the subsequent in-flight engine fire and emergency descent and forced landing to a farm field.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The Lockheed P-38L-5LD "Lightning" was being ferried from Tullahoma, Tennessee, to its home base in Texas following its participation in an air show. During descent into the Greenwood, Mississippi area for refueling, the left engine backfired, ran roughly, and the cockpit filled with thick smoke. With reduced cockpit visibility, and a need to get the aircraft on the ground as soon as possible, the pilot chose a cotton field for a forced landing. Postcrash examination of the left engine revealed the supercharger sustained an internal compressor wheel failure that shot compressor blade pieces through the supercharger housing and the fuel feed line. High pressure 100 octane fuel spewed inside the left engine nacelle, ignited, and caused the in-flight fire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.