Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Marsing, Idaho 83639
Saturday, May 30, 1998 12:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/30/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1245 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | MARSING |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83639 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1230 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 30 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:24AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N151TM |
| NTSB Number | SEA98FA083 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PAPA 51 LTD., CO. |
| Aircraft Model | THUNDER MUSTANG |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | THUNDER MU |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TMD-9607-001 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 2 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1390 |
| Airframe Hours | 310 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PAPA 51 LTD. CO |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 102 N KINGS ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | NAMPA |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83687 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | S67 |
| Departure City | NAMPA |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1205 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |